In February 2018 the Government announced a response to Matthew Taylor’s Review of Modern Working Practices which came out last year. The Business Secretary Matthew Taylor pledged to introduce what he called a “Good Work Plan” and follow through on some of the recommendations in the Taylor report to improve employment rights for flexible workers in the UK.
The aims of the Good Work Plan
At the moment there are a number of broad goals named in the plan, including:
- A new day-one right to sick pay and holiday pay for all “vulnerable” workers including casual and zero-hour workers
- Giving all workers the right to a payslip to clarify who is paying them and documenting deductions. This is of particular significance to agency workers
- A right for all workers to request a “more stable contract”, although quite what this means at the stage in still unclear
- Action to ensure that unpaid interns are not doing the job of a worker
- A new “naming and shaming” scheme for employers who don’t pay employment tribunal awards
- Quadrupling employment tribunal fines for employers who show “malice, spite or gross oversight” to £20,000 with further increased penalties for employers who have previously lost similar cases (and by implication haven’t “learnt their lesson”)
Rather than introducing new legislation right away, another four consultations have been launched to look into specific areas of employment law. These are:
- Enforcement of employment rights
- Protecting agency workers
- Increasing transparency in the UK labour market
- Employment status including tax implications
It will take a number of months to gather responses and draw conclusions from these new consultations, so we don’t expect to see new legislation in the immediate future. We will keep you up to date as any firm changes are announced however, if you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
The Backhouse Solicitors Team
Tel: 01245 893400
