Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill

Status: Closed Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 29 Apr 2026 16 recommendations 5 conclusions 1 report

The newly re-formed Business and Trade Committee is launching its first call for evidence on the Government’s new flagship Employment Rights Bill . The new Government has announced a comprehensive overhaul of employment law in what it is calling the ‘biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.’ The ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ sets …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill HC 370 3 Mar 2025 21 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
9 Recommendation 3rd Report - Make Work Pay: Employment … Acknowledged

Task Acas with leading an information campaign to promote good employment practice compliance.

We recognise that there are a significant number of new employment rights that employers will need to understand and implement. We therefore call on the Government to consider how they use networks of employment support, both statutory and voluntary, to support employers in the implementation. We recommend that the Government …

Government response. The government states it will consult on implementation details and ensure sufficient support, recognizing Acas as a valuable partner with whom it is already working closely, but does not explicitly commit to tasking Acas with leading an information campaign.
Department for Business and Trade
10 Recommendation 3rd Report - Make Work Pay: Employment … Acknowledged

Develop a clear, long-term industrial relations strategy, credibly resourced and embedded through collaboration.

The Government’s framework for industrial relations provides strong principles that can help to shape a future settlement based on productive engagement between trade unions and employers. To develop this ambition, we recommend that the Government develops a clear and long- term industrial relations strategy to ensure that implementation of those …

Government response. The government committed to exploring the development of an overarching industrial relations framework that will set out its vision and provide guidance, engaging with stakeholders in its formation, but does not commit to a specific long-term strategy with resourcing details.
Department for Business and Trade
16 Conclusion 3rd Report - Make Work Pay: Employment … Acknowledged

UK risks becoming a 'dumping ground' for forced labour products without legislative reforms.

The UK is at serious risk of becoming a ‘dumping ground’ for products made with forced labour if it does not keep up with our global partners on legislative reforms to tackle modern slavery. (Conclusion, Paragraph 85)

Government response. The government acknowledges the risk and its commitment to eradicating forced labour, stating it will continue to assess and monitor existing measures and emerging policy tools, and will consult stakeholders when considering further action.
Department for Business and Trade
18 Conclusion 3rd Report - Make Work Pay: Employment … Acknowledged

Effective labour market enforcement is crucial for strengthened worker rights and fair standards

Laws are only as effective as those who enforce them. If the Government wishes to ensure workers are given strengthened employment rights, and that all firms benefit from a level playing field for labour standards, effective labour market enforcement must be prioritised. (Conclusion, Paragraph 94)

Government response. The government is committed to effective labour market enforcement by balancing resources, expertise, and coordination, and will monitor the effectiveness and consider resources for the Fair Work Agency when developing its enforcement strategy and annual report.
Department for Business and Trade

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
14 Jan 2025 Alessandro Dudech · Uniqlo, Andy Brown · Frasers Group, Hugo Martin · Evri, Mr Paddy Lillis · Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), Neil Carberry · Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), Paul Bedford · Deliveroo View ↗
7 Jan 2025 Alistair Macrow · McDonalds, UK and Ireland, Andrew Opie · The British Retail Consortium, Claire Lorains · Tesco, Eleanor Lyons, Leonard Klenner · Temu, Margaret Beels OBE · Department for Business and Trade, Stephen Heary · Temu, Yinan Zhu · SHEIN View ↗
17 Dec 2024 Amanda Gearing · GMB Union, Ben Willmott · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Beverley Fairbank · Jaguar Land Rover, Dominic Johnson · BAE Systems, Jennifer Kearney · Amazon UK and Ireland, Matthew Percival · Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Murray Paul · Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Nicola Smith · Trades Union Congress (TUC), Stuart Morgan · Amazon Logistics View ↗

Correspondence

40 letters
DateDirectionTitle
22 Apr 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
15 Apr 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
11 Mar 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
11 Mar 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
11 Feb 2026 From cttee Letter to the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating t…
11 Feb 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
26 Nov 2025 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
4 Nov 2025 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection relating…
16 Sep 2025 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State relating to the Employments Rights Bill, 15 …
8 Sep 2025 From cttee Letter to the Secretary of State relating to the Employment Rights Bill, 8 Sept…
17 Jul 2025 To cttee Letter from the Financial Conduct Authority relating to Shein and the Integrity…
10 Jul 2025 From cttee Letter to the Financial Conduct Authority relating to Shein and the UK listing …
3 Jun 2025 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State relating to the Modern Slavery Act, 19 May 2…
29 Apr 2025 From cttee Letter to the Secretary of State relating to the consistent application of forc…
22 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from the GMB Union relating to the ongoing dispute with Bidfood, 14 Apri…
27 Mar 2025 To cttee Letter from Amazon relating to evidence given to the Committee, 27 January 2025
18 Mar 2025 To cttee Letter from Evri relating to issues raised by the Committee, 5 March 2025
18 Mar 2025 To cttee Letter from Domestic Angels Franchising Limited relating to the Committee’s thi…
4 Mar 2025 From cttee Letter to Hugo Martin of Evri relating to allegations made to the Committee by …
25 Feb 2025 To cttee Letter from SHEIN relating to additional information requested by the Committee…