Day One unfair dismissal defeated by House of Lords

A key part of the government’s Employment Rights Bill, due to come into force in 2027, was its pledge to make unfair dismissal a day one right.

The Employment Rights Bill also introduced an ‘initial period of employment’, likely to be nine months, during which employers could dismiss staff using a simpler process.  The government planned to consult on the rules for this process over the next year.

However, on 16^th July 2025, the House of Lords has voted to remove the initial period entirely. Instead, they have amended the Employment Rights Bill to reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal from two years to six months.