A 2026 article by E. McGaughey in the Industrial Law Journal looks at a question at the centre of UK policy debates: how labour rights affect economic growth, and what the Employment Rights Act 2025 may mean for that relationship.
The study is framed against the UK government's stated focus on growth. In that context, the article examines the argument that improving workers' rights is not separate from economic policy, but can form part of a broader growth strategy. The discussion points to labour protections as an issue with direct relevance to productivity, stability and the wider economy.
Rather than treating labour rights and growth as competing goals, the analysis appears to explore how the two can work together. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is presented as a key test case for whether stronger protections in the workplace can support the government's economic objectives.
The article adds to a wider debate over the role of employment law in shaping business conditions and long-term prosperity. By focusing on the Employment Rights Act 2025, it offers a timely assessment of what policymakers, employers and workers may expect as the UK weighs growth alongside workplace reform.
