Our training courses are constantly profiling the latest breaking news on the Employment Rights Bill which will certainly change the UK workplace landscape for employers and workers.
Here is the very latest:-
A total of 264 amendments were tabled in the Public Bill committee of the House of Commons
149 of these, all government amendments, were agreed to by the committee. All opposition amendments were either withdrawn, not moved, or disagreed to in a division of the committee.
The two most significant new topics introduced to the bill through new clauses and amendments were:?
- Increasing the time limits within which people can make a claim to an employment tribunal (for almost all claims), from three months to six months
- Introducing new powers to implement international maritime conventions and a Seafarer’s Charter through regulations
Major themes that have led to significant debate in the committee included:?
- Smaller employers – both Conservative and Liberal Democrat raised the potential impact of many of the measures on small businesses, and whether smaller employers should be exempted from some of the provisions.
- Zero hours contracts – how strict the restrictions on zero hours contracts should be and whether or not these would lead to increased unemployment.
- Fire and rehire practices – how much flexibility to give struggling businesses from the ban on dismissing workers for refusing to agree to variation of contract.
- Unfair dismissal – the removal of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims. Opposition members raised concerns about the impact on businesses choosing to employ new staff and asked questions over how the new statutory probationary period would operate.
- Trade union access and industrial relations – Conservative members raised objections to various parts of the proposed trade union reforms, which they said might lead to an increase in industrial action. Labour members argued these reforms would improve industrial relations and provide a needed increase in bargaining power for workers.?
More news and changes are certain to follow!
Get in touch for a summary of the Employment Rights Bill or indeed details of our employment and equality law training courses
