BRC calls for Government consultation as Employment Rights Bill nears law

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that the retail sector could be overlooked in the rollout of Labour’s Employment Rights Bill, despite the industry employing nearly three million people and playing a "crucial" role in the UK economy.

The warning comes as the bill has cleared its final parliamentary hurdle and is expected to become law before Christmas.

Conservative peer Lord Sharpe, the shadow business and trade minister, had tabled an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill during its latest stage of parliamentary talks in the House of Lords.

However, he withdrew the amendment after a brief debate, removing the last obstacle to the Bill’s passage.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the development as a "major victory for working people across the country", calling it "the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation".

Most measures will require secondary legislation before taking effect, with implementation expected to be phased in from 2026.

The Bill applies to England, Scotland, and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. It will give workers access to sick pay and paternity leave from their first day on the job and introduces new protections for pregnant women and new mothers.

In November, Labour abandoned its plan to allow all workers to claim unfair dismissal from day one of employment. Instead, the Government will introduce enhanced protections from six months of service, considered the bill's most significant measure.

Responding to the Employment Rights Bill passing through the House of Lords and completing its parliamentary stages, Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Government has said that dialogue and cooperation are their watchwords, and yet the largest employing sectors, like retail, have been frequently excluded from vital discussions around some of the most consequential details of the Employment Rights Bill."

Noting that retail provides almost three million jobs, she emphasised that its input is "vital to ensuring the Bill is workable for everyone".

She added: "Only if business, Government and unions work together will we be able to find the best way forward: protecting employees while promoting employment.

"As the Bill now heads towards Royal Assent three months later than anticipated, the implementation roadmap must be revisited and not compressed. Businesses must be consulted and given the promised timings for quality engagement. If they rush implementation through, there will be severe consequences for people and jobs all over the country. And vitally, there must be no new surprises in the secondary legislation."