In our blog of July 2017, we detailed the recommendations of the Taylor “Good Work” Review which looked at the state of the current labour market in the UK and examined how new models of working have affected the freedom and rights of workers. The Government has now published its response to the Taylor Review.
The response provides details of the government’s proposals, after taking the suggestions of the review into account. The government has proposed the following:
- Day one rights for all workers (including casual and zero hours workers);
- The right to request a “more stable” contract;
- Increasing workers’ rights and their awareness of those rights;
- Providing clearer financial information to agency workers;
- Itemised pay slips;
- Developing an online tool to determine employment status;
- Extending the qualifying period for continuous service beyond one week;
- Reviewing the redundancy legislation in relation to pregnancy and maternity;
- Introducing tougher enforcement measures and penalties for employees who breach existing employment protections.
Further details on each of these areas is still to be provided.
Even though the Government has published a full response to the review, on the same day it also launched four further consultations calling for evidence which it will require to consider before deciding on how to (if at all) implement certain other recommendations of the Taylor Review. The consultations focus on the following:
- Employment status;
- Increasing transparency in the labour market;
- Agency and atypical workers;
- Enforcement of employment rights;
Any changes which can bring more clarity to the legal tests that are used to determine employment status will certainly be welcome given the state of flux which the labour market is in following the boom of the gig economy. However, it appears that the government is also conscious of ensuring the labour market remains flexible and does not impose burdens on businesses unnecessarily, so any change may not be create too much by way of implications for employers.
It is expected that these consultations will run until May/June 2018. As with the Taylor Review, the government will then publish an official response to the consultations indicating what further legislative proposals it then wishes to progress with.
Keep an eye on our website for any further updates regarding these topics.
If you would like further information on any of the topics above, or have any other employment law related query, then please do not hesitate to contact us.