Good Work Plan
Martin Nicholson
An HR expert, I help Businesses owners save; time, money and stress, whilst achieving the best results from their most expensive investment - their people.
With the UK Government’s ‘Good Work Plan’ set to come into force this April, it has resulted in major changes which will have an impact on your business.
As of April 6 2020, the government will extend the entitlement of written particulars to include workers and new employees from day one. Previously, it needed to be only provided to employees who were employed for more than one month and within two months of their employment commencing but these changes will mean it now needs to be completed on day one.
The Good Work Plan
The traditional view of employment relationships in the UK has struggled to accommodate the gradual evolution of new working models, which has been accelerated by the rise of digital platforms.
The need for change was highlighted by the Taylor Review of Modern Work Practices back in July 2017. Within this report, Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts) put forward 53 recommendations, most of which were accepted in principle by the government, which then launched a number of major consultations on how these proposals could be implemented. This culminated at the end of last year with the publication of the government’s Good Work Plan. Which was described as their “vision for the future of the UK labour market.”
So, what does it mean for you and your business?
The right to a payslip covers all workers and businesses need to outline the hours worked for hourly-paid workers – both of which came into force on April 6th 2019.
The information included within the written statement is also being expanded upon and will need to include details such as eligibility for sick leave, information on any probationary period, remuneration, normal working hours, training entitlements, details on notice or termination periods and an expectation of how long a job is expected to last or the end date of a fixed-term contract. This will be required on day one for a new employee or worker.
Increase in the ‘break of service’ period
At the moment, a gap of one week or more is sufficient to break the continuity of service (except for various situations where legislation dictates that continuity is preserved for a longer period such as redundancy and incapacity dismissals). The government has committed to increasing the gap required to break the continuity of service to four weeks, making it easier for employees with irregular working patterns to accumulate continuity of service.
Right to request a ‘stable’ contract
The government has committed to introducing a right for all employees and workers to request a more stable working pattern (subject to having acquired at least 25 weeks’ service).
Be Prepared for the Good Work Plan Changes
Be prepared for the changes coming with the Good Work Plan by getting in touch with ProAction HR on 01962 217338 or [email protected]