OpenLegislation

Employment Relations Act 1999

1999 c. 26 · Enacted 27 July 1999 · Extends to United Kingdom

Not fully up to date. 3 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 1 October 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 34(1)(c)omittedEmployment Rights Act 2025 Sch. 3 para. 2(2)(a)
s. 34(4)-(4B)omittedEmployment Rights Act 2025 Sch. 3 para. 2(2)(b)
s. 37(1)omittedEmployment Rights Act 2025 Sch. 3 para. 2(3)

An Act to amend the law relating to employment, to trade unions and to employment agencies and businesses.

[27th July 1999]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Trade unions
  2. 1Collective bargaining: recognition.
  3. 2Detriment related to trade union membership.
  4. 3Blacklists.
  5. 4Ballots and notices.
  6. 5Training.
  7. 6Unfair dismissal connected with recognition: interim relief.
  8. Leave for family and domestic reasons
  9. 7Maternity and parental leave.
  10. 8Time off for domestic incidents.
  11. 9Consequential amendments.
  12. Disciplinary and grievance hearings
  13. 10Right to be accompanied.
  14. 11Complaint to employment tribunal.
  15. 12Detriment and dismissal.
  16. 13Interpretation.
  17. 14Contracting out and conciliation.
  18. 15National security employees.
  19. Other rights of individuals
  20. 16Unfair dismissal of striking workers.
  21. 17Section 17 Not yet in force
  22. 18Agreement to exclude dismissal rights.
  23. 19Part-time work: discrimination.
  24. 20Part-time work: code of practice.
  25. 21Code of practice: supplemental.
  26. 22National minimum wage: communities.
  27. 23Power to confer rights on individuals.
  28. CAC, ACAS, Commissioners and Certification Officer
  29. 24CAC: members.
  30. 25CAC: proceedings.
  31. 26ACAS: general duty.
  32. 27ACAS: reports.
  33. 28Abolition of Commissioners.
  34. 29The Certification Officer.
  35. Miscellaneous
  36. 30Partnerships at work.
  37. 31Employment agencies.
  38. 32Employment rights: employment outside Great Britain.
  39. 33Unfair dismissal: special and additional awards.
  40. 34Indexation of amounts, &c.
  41. 35Guarantee payments.
  42. 36Sections 33 to 35: consequential.
  43. 37Compensatory award etc: removal of limit in certain cases.
  44. 38Transfer of undertakings.
  45. 39Minimum wage: information.
  46. 40Dismissal of school staff. Repealed
  47. 41National security.
  48. General
  49. 42Orders and regulations.
  50. 43Finance.
  51. 44Repeals.
  52. 45Commencement.
  53. 46Extent.
  54. 47Citation.
  55. Schedule 1: Collective Bargaining: Recognition
  56. Paragraph
  57. Schedule 2: Union Membership: Detriment
  58. Introduction
  59. 1Paragraph 1
  60. Detriment
  61. 2Paragraph 2
  62. Time limit for proceedings
  63. 3Paragraph 3
  64. Consideration of complaint
  65. 4Paragraph 4
  66. Remedies
  67. 5Paragraph 5
  68. Awards against third parties
  69. 6Paragraph 6
  70. Schedule 3: Ballots and notices
  71. Introduction
  72. 1Paragraph 1
  73. Support of ballot
  74. 2Paragraph 2
  75. Documents for employers
  76. 3Paragraph 3
  77. Entitlement to vote
  78. 4Paragraph 4
  79. Separate workplace ballots
  80. 5Paragraph 5
  81. Voting paper
  82. 6Paragraph 6
  83. Conduct of ballot: merchant seamen
  84. 7Paragraph 7
  85. Inducement
  86. 8Paragraph 8
  87. Disregard of certain failures
  88. 9Paragraph 9
  89. Period of ballot’s effectiveness
  90. 10Paragraph 10 Repealed
  91. Notice of industrial action
  92. 11Paragraph 11
  93. Schedule 4: Leave for Family Reasons Etc
  94. Part I: Maternity Leave and Parental Leave
  95. Chapter New Part VIII of Employment Rights Act 1996
  96. Paragraph
  97. Part II: Time off for Dependants
  98. Chapter Provisions to be Inserted after Section 57 of the
  99. Paragraph
  100. Part III: Consequential Amendments
  101. Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52)
  102. 1Paragraph 1
  103. 2Paragraph 2
  104. 3Paragraph 3
  105. Employment Tribunals Act 1996 (c. 17)
  106. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  107. Employment Rights Act 1996 (c. 18)
  108. 5Paragraph 5
  109. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  110. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  111. 8Paragraph 8
  112. 9Paragraph 9
  113. 10Paragraph 10
  114. 11Paragraph 11
  115. 12Paragraph 12
  116. 13Paragraph 13 Repealed
  117. 14Paragraph 14 Repealed
  118. 15Paragraph 15
  119. 16Paragraph 16
  120. 17Paragraph 17 Repealed
  121. 18Paragraph 18 Repealed
  122. 19Paragraph 19 Repealed
  123. 20Paragraph 20 Repealed
  124. 21Paragraph 21 Repealed
  125. 22Paragraph 22 Repealed
  126. 23Paragraph 23 Repealed
  127. 24Paragraph 24 Repealed
  128. 25Paragraph 25 Repealed
  129. 26Paragraph 26 Repealed
  130. 27Paragraph 27 Repealed
  131. 28Paragraph 28 Repealed
  132. 29Paragraph 29 Repealed
  133. 30Paragraph 30 Repealed
  134. 31Paragraph 31
  135. 32Paragraph 32
  136. 33Paragraph 33
  137. 34Paragraph 34
  138. 35Paragraph 35
  139. 36Paragraph 36
  140. 37Paragraph 37 Repealed
  141. 38Paragraph 38
  142. 39Paragraph 39
  143. 40Paragraph 40 Repealed
  144. 41Paragraph 41 Repealed
  145. 42Paragraph 42
  146. Schedule 5: Unfair Dismissal of Striking Workers
  147. Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52)
  148. 1Paragraph 1
  149. 2Paragraph 2
  150. 3Paragraph 3
  151. 4Paragraph 4
  152. Employment Rights Act 1996 (c. 18)
  153. 5Paragraph 5
  154. Schedule 6: The Certification Officer
  155. Introduction
  156. 1Paragraph 1
  157. Register of members
  158. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  159. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  160. 4Paragraph 4
  161. 5Paragraph 5
  162. Accounting records
  163. 6Paragraph 6
  164. Offenders
  165. 7Paragraph 7
  166. Trade union administration: appeals
  167. 8Paragraph 8
  168. Elections
  169. 9Paragraph 9 Repealed
  170. 10Paragraph 10
  171. 11Paragraph 11
  172. 12Paragraph 12
  173. Application of funds for political objects
  174. 13Paragraph 13
  175. Political ballot rules
  176. 14Paragraph 14 Repealed
  177. 15Paragraph 15
  178. 16Paragraph 16
  179. Political fund
  180. 17Paragraph 17
  181. Amalgamation or transfer of engagements
  182. 18Paragraph 18
  183. Breach of union rules
  184. 19Paragraph 19
  185. Employers’ associations
  186. 20Paragraph 20
  187. 21Paragraph 21
  188. Procedure before Certification Officer
  189. 22Paragraph 22
  190. 23Paragraph 23
  191. Annual report by Certification Officer
  192. 24Paragraph 24
  193. Schedule 7: Employment Agencies
  194. Introduction
  195. 1Paragraph 1
  196. General regulations
  197. 2Paragraph 2
  198. Charges
  199. 3Paragraph 3
  200. Inspection
  201. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  202. Offences
  203. 5Paragraph 5
  204. Regulations and orders
  205. 6Paragraph 6
  206. Interpretation
  207. 7Paragraph 7
  208. Exemptions
  209. 8Paragraph 8
  210. Schedule 8: National Security
  211. 1Paragraph 1
  212. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  213. 3Paragraph 3
  214. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  215. 5Paragraph 5
  216. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  217. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  218. Schedule 9Repeals