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Productivity

Asked by Charlie DewhirstConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 16 March 2026UIN 119620

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on productivity; and what information his Department holds on the OBR having made such an assessment.

Answered by Kate Dearden

The Government has published a comprehensive assessment on the impact of the Act. It cites academic evidence linking stronger employment protections to improved productivity and highlights that better job security, wellbeing, and reduced undercutting of good employers may lead to a more productive workforce.

The OBR have not yet made an assessment of the Act as policy development is still ongoing. The OBR has stated that it plans to include the Act in its forecasts once details are sufficiently confirmed, and we will support them in preparing for any forecast in future.

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