Employment rights minister Kate Dearden sets out how the government will work with the people profession to implement new worker protections
As we look ahead to what will be a major year for the people profession, I’m grateful to be able to directly address the readers of People Management magazine as the process to implement the Employment Rights Act 2025 begins.
The Act, which became law in December 2025, is designed to help more people to stay in work, support workers’ productivity and raise living standards. It will extend the employment protections already given by many of the best British companies to millions more employees across the country and it will help shape how organisations hire, manage and support their people. The CIPD’s engagement with us to ensure that the views of your profession are represented has been vital and has helped shape the legislation before it received royal assent.
When I spoke at last year’s CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, I recognised the instrumental role the HR profession will play in ensuring that employers are familiar with and can implement the changes ahead. I once again want to acknowledge how central the profession is to this truly pivotal moment. You are at the forefront of translating newly legislated rights into operational reality – ensuring compliance, supporting culture change and helping realise the new measures in workplaces.
I believe this is not just a legal shift but a historic opportunity for the people...
Grace Kang has worked as an attorney specializing in intellectual property and business law for 20 years, the last 16 in the greater Los Angeles area. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she said h...