The Council for Work and Health welcomes Royal Assent being granted to the Employment Rights Act 2025. The recognition of the importance of employment practices on the health of workers is a theme of the legislation, including day one entitlement to statutory sick pay, statutory duties in relation to menopause action plans and more measures to enable work-life balance. The potential of the newly-established Fair Work Agency to bring considerations of health support into its remit has been trailed by the Mayfield Report. This raises the prospect of disputes relating to standards of health support, disability and critical issues like menopause support being underpinned by the Agency, rather than requiring resort to Employment Tribunals. Such a development is also welcome.
The Council membership are working hard to ensure that workers can continue to access professional and clinically-led advice to enable employees to make judgements about the impact of work on their own health. This is in addition to the work of many of its members to ensure that employers are guided by good practice in health protection. In the New Year, the Council will be moving ahead with professionally-led standards to underpin the professions who are the mainstay of healthy work in this country.”