Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Make Work Pay Implementation

13 October 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Kate Dearden Labour (Co-op) Constituency

EconomyEmploymentWomen & Equalities

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Kate Dearden raised concerns about make work pay implementation in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Employment laws are being updated to address modern working patterns and protect more workers.
  • The Employment Rights Act 2025 extends protections to 1.3 million workers previously ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay.
  • New fathers and partners are now entitled to paternity leave from their first day at a new job.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Kate Dearden Labour (Co-op) Constituency

Employment laws have not kept pace with modern working patterns. Too many workers lack the protections they need at work, while responsible businesses face unfair competition from those willing to exploit gaps in outdated employment laws. Our Plan to Make Work Pay is modernising employment rights to respond to a changing labour market and create a fairer, more secure economy for workers and businesses. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is extending employment protections already offered by many of Britain’s best employers to millions more workers, helping to raise living standards and support fair competition between businesses. Many of these reforms are already making a real difference for workers, including the 1.3 million more workers now eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, who previously earned too little to qualify, and the 32,000 fathers and partners who are now entitled to paternity leave from day one in a new job. In August, electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots came into effect. Today, the UK Government is outlining further progress in the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, as part of the Plan to Make Work Pay, updating Parliament on the publication of Government responses to consultations on Bereavement Leave, Flexible Working, and the Employer Duty to Inform Workers of their Right to Join a Trade Union.

Other contributors (1)
  • Kate Dearden

    Employment laws have not kept pace with modern working patterns. Too many workers lack the protections they need at work, while responsible businesses face unfair competition from those willing to exploit gaps in outdated employment laws. Our Plan to Make Work Pay is modernising employment rights to respond to a changing labour market and create a fairer, more secure economy for workers and businesses. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is extending employment protections already offered by many of Britain’s best employers to millions more workers, helping to raise living standards and support fair competition between businesses. Many of these reforms are already making a real difference for workers, including the 1.3 million more workers now eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, who previously earned too little to qualify, and the 32,000 fathers and partners who are now entitled to paternity leave from day one in a new job. In August, electronic and workplace balloting for statutory trade union ballots came into effect. Today, the UK Government is outlining further progress in the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, as part of the Plan to Make Work Pay, updating Parliament on the publication of Government responses to consultations on Bereavement Leave, Flexible Working, and the Employer Duty to Inform Workers of their Right to Join a Trade Union.

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