Report on the U.K. Employment Rights Bill and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals
Overview of Proposed Legislation
A roadmap for the United Kingdom’s Employment Rights Bill was published on July 1, 2025, outlining significant legislative reforms. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced the measures, which are expected to pass into law within the year and will impact millions of workers. The reforms are designed to strengthen employee protections and directly contribute to the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Core Alignment with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
The Bill’s primary objective is to enhance labour rights and create more secure working environments, which is central to SDG 8. Key provisions include:
- Protection for Vulnerable Workers (SDG Target 8.8): A ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts and an end to “fire and rehire” practices will protect workers in precarious employment, promoting a safe and secure working environment for all.
- Fundamental Rights from Day One (SDG Target 8.5): The introduction of protections from unfair dismissal and rights to parental leave from the first day of employment aims to ensure decent and productive work for all, fostering job security and stability.
Contributions to Associated Sustainable Development Goals
The reforms extend beyond SDG 8, contributing to a broader range of development goals focused on poverty, health, and equality.
- SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
- The extension of Statutory Sick Pay to an estimated 1.3 million of the country’s lowest-paid employees for the first time provides a critical financial safety net, directly mitigating poverty risks and reducing income inequality.
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
- Guaranteed access to sick pay allows employees to take necessary leave for health reasons without facing financial penalties, promoting both individual well-being and public health.
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
- Enhanced day-one parental leave rights support a more equitable balance of caregiving responsibilities, which is crucial for advancing gender equality in the workplace and beyond.
Implementation Timeline and Compliance Advisory
The implementation of the Employment Rights Bill will be phased. Compliance managers are advised to prepare for the upcoming changes by enhancing their understanding of human resources and equality issues in the context of these new legal standards.
- Immediate Effect (2025): Certain rules will be enacted on the day the Bill receives Royal Assent.
- Phase Two (April 2026): A second set of developments is scheduled for implementation.
- Phase Three (October 2026): The final reforms will be rolled out.
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- The article focuses on the U.K.’s Employment Rights Bill, which aims to improve working conditions. This directly relates to SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The bill’s measures, such as banning “exploitative zero hours contracts” and ending “unscrupulous fire and rehire practices,” are designed to create more secure and fair employment, which is the essence of decent work.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- The reforms specifically target some of the most vulnerable in the workforce. The article states that “some of the country’s lowest-paid employees – will get access to Statutory Sick Pay for the very first time.” By extending social protections to low-income workers, the bill directly addresses the goal of reducing inequality within a country.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
- The mention of “parental leave” as part of the new employment reforms connects the article to SDG 5. Policies on parental leave are crucial for achieving gender equality by helping to balance unpaid care and domestic work, and by supporting women’s participation in the labor force.
SDG 1: No Poverty
- The bill’s provisions, such as protections against unfair dismissal and the extension of Statutory Sick Pay, act as a social safety net. These measures help prevent workers, particularly those in low-paid or precarious employment, from falling into poverty due to job loss or illness, thus contributing to the goal of ending poverty in all its forms.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Target 8.8: “Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers… and those in precarious employment.” The article directly addresses this target through the “ban on exploitative zero hours contracts,” ending “unscrupulous fire and rehire practices,” and providing “protections from unfair dismissal from day one.” These measures are explicitly designed to protect labor rights and create more secure working environments for those in precarious jobs.
- Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men…” The overall goal of the Employment Rights Bill is to improve the quality of work, making it more “decent.” The provision of Statutory Sick Pay and fair contract terms contributes to this target.
Under SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Target 10.4: “Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.” The extension of “Statutory Sick Pay” to 1.3 million low-paid workers is a clear example of a social protection policy aimed at reducing economic inequality.
Under SDG 5: Gender Equality
- Target 5.4: “Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies…” The introduction of “parental leave” is a social protection policy that supports this target by enabling parents to take time off for caregiving responsibilities.
Under SDG 1: No Poverty
- Target 1.3: “Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.” The expansion of Statutory Sick Pay is a direct implementation of a social protection system for vulnerable workers, increasing coverage for those who previously had none.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Yes, the article mentions a specific, quantifiable indicator. For Targets 1.3 and 10.4, the article states that “Up to 1.3 million working people… will get access to Statutory Sick Pay for the very first time.” This number, 1.3 million, serves as a direct indicator of the increased coverage of social protection policies for low-paid and vulnerable workers.
- The article also implies other indicators through the policies it describes. Progress towards Target 8.8 could be measured by tracking the reduction in the number of workers on zero-hours contracts following the ban, or the number of legal challenges related to “fire and rehire” practices.
- For Target 5.4, an implied indicator would be the creation of the new “parental leave” policy itself, and subsequently, the uptake rate of this leave by eligible parents.
4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators Identified in Article |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including… those in precarious employment. | Implementation of policies such as a “ban on exploitative zero hours contracts” and an “end of unscrupulous fire and rehire practices.” |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially… social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality. | The extension of Statutory Sick Pay to “up to 1.3 million working people,” specifically targeting the “country’s lowest-paid employees.” |
| SDG 1: No Poverty | Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. | The number of newly covered workers by Statutory Sick Pay: “Up to 1.3 million working people.” |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of… social protection policies. | The introduction of a “parental leave” policy as part of the employment reforms. |
Source: complianceweek.com
