The Government has tabled amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, described as the “biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation“, following a series of consultations. There are 28 reforms set out in the Bill designed to increase protections for workers, and the amendments which the Government claims will support economic growth include:
- Zero hours contracts and agency workers – Employers will have to offer guaranteed hours to agency workers and provide reasonable notice for shifts and compensation for short-notice cancellations or changes.
- Collective redundancy – The maximum period of the protective award will increase from 90 to 180 days, with further guidance to be published for employers.
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – SSP, which will become a ‘day one’ right for all workers, will be calculated at 80% of normal weekly earnings for individuals earning less than the Lower Earnings Limit.
- Umbrella companies – Workers will be able to access comparable rights and protections when working through an umbrella company as they would when taken on directly.
- Industrial relations – Information requirements for industrial action ballots will be simplified, e-balloting will be introduced, and the notice period for strikes will be reduced to 10 days.
The Bill has now passed in the House of Commons and will move to the House of Lords, and the Government has confirmed that further detail on many of the policies will be provided through regulations after the Bill has received Royal Assent, which is expected to be this summer.