The Employment Rights Bill will ‘enshrine’ good practice, says UKHospitality

The forthcoming Employment Rights Bill will “enshrine” the sector’s good working practices, according to the head of public policy at UKHospitality.

 

Speaking to The Caterer, David Sheen, the trade body’s public affairs director, added the sector “sometimes gets a bad rap around its employment practices” but that the Bill “will allow those businesses that are doing the right thing and looking after their staff well to thrive”.

 

However, he added: “It’s clearly going to have some very significant impacts on hospitality.”

 

He cited aspects such as statutory sick pay (SSP) which is set to come into effect from April 2026.

 

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Currently, employees earning less than £125 a week are not automatically entitled to SSP and they are not paid for the first three days of sickness, but the Bill will change that. It will remove the lower earnings limit, expanding eligibility to include lower-paid workers, and allow employees to claim sick pay from the first day of illness. Sheen said this aspect will “disproportionately affect hospitality".

 

In addition, he said the replacement of zero-hours contracts with a right to request guaranteed hours should be viewed with greater nuance than has been suggested.

 

Sheen said: “The government line that’s come out about zero hours contracts is actually quite misleading and, in the discussions we’ve had with government, it is actually a lot more constructive and more understanding than that headline gives away.

 

“I think they have understood that hospitality is a flexible sector. It’s a seasonal sector. It has different needs, and we’re hopeful that we’ll get to a situation that actually respects that both employers and employees value zero hours contracts or flexible contracts.”

 

Sheen said: “A lot of the other measures, we’re going to find out more details in probably November, December this year, when government starts consulting. So, make sure that you, as business, are aware of those. Make sure you’re reading The Caterer and understand what’s going on.”

 

Sheen made the comments ahead of his appearance at The Caterer’s Breakfast Briefing Live event where the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill will be debated by Sheen alongside other sector experts.

 

The free event, held in partnership with headline sponsor Harri and supporting partner JustTip, will take place between 8.15-10.30am on 4 November at Uncommon in Holborn, London, and aims to unite senior HR professionals and hospitality leaders to unpack one of the most significant legislative changes on the horizon for the sector.

 

Spaces are limited. If you are interested in attending, please register on the Breakfast Briefing Live 2025 website.