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BBC News
17-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Employment Rights Bill: Business groups urge changes to reforms
The five biggest business groups in the UK have written an open letter calling for urgent changes to the government's Employment Rights proposed new law, due to be scrutinised by the House of Lords this month, includes a right to guaranteed hours and cracks down on zero-hour contracts without the offer of the British Chambers of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses and Make UK warn the bill in its current form could hit growth at an uncertain time for the UK government insists the Bill will deliver the "biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation". The new Employment Rights Bill would guarantee new rights for workers from the first day of their include sick pay, protection from unfair dismissal and parental leave, as well as the right to request flexible restrictions on "fire-and-rehire" processes when employees are let go and then re-employed on new contracts with worse pay or conditions will also feature in the bill. In a rare joint intervention, the business groups said they support the government's core aims of improving productivity, wages and workers' groups said the Bill would "damage growth and employment, undermining the government's own goals".They argue the changes will discourage companies hiring "particularly those at the margins of the labour market" as business will not want to risk costly tribunal also urged Lords to consider if guaranteeing workers fixed-hours contracts could backfire, reduce flexibility for both employers and staff, and introduce unnecessary administrative costs. In response to the letter, a government spokesperson said the Bill will represent "the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation, and our measures already have strong support amongst business and the public"."We've consulted extensively with business on our proposals," the spokesperson added. "We will engage on the implementation of legislation to ensure it works for employers and workers alike."Separately, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said it has not yet been able to take account of the Employment Rights Bill in their forecasting as there is not enough detail available on the in its forecast released last month, it said regulations which "affect the flexibility of businesses and labour markets" are likely to have "material and probably net negative, economic impacts on employment, prices, and productivity". Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said the UK's top business groups calling for a rethink "sends a powerful message"."The business groups are correct when they say as currently drafted, the bill will have deeply damaging implications for the government's priority growth mission," he said."The world has changed, the government must shelve this disaster of a bill now." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
12-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Grieving Scots welcome progress on miscarriage bereavement leave
Beth Taylor struggled to get out of bed after she was told she had miscarried at her 12-week pregnancy boss, she says, asked 'would she be back tomorrow or the next day?'The 25-year-old from Aberdeen had envisioned a life for her first child - one that was lost in an instant during the appointment last summer."Even if it's a week into the pregnancy and you lose it, you've still lost the whole future that you were going to have," she said. "The second you see those two lines on that test, your whole life is completely different - you picture your whole life completely differently."Beth is among the grieving people who have welcomed the UK government's backing of bereavement leave for couples who experience such a loss. Currently employees are eligible for parental bereavement leave if they or their partner lose their baby after 24 weeks of Minister Justin Madders told MPs he "fully accepts" the principle of bereavement leave for pregnancy loss at all stages, and promised to look at adding the right to the Employment Rights proposal will now be considered by the House of and charities have described it as a crucial step forward in acknowledging miscarriage as a bereavement. Beth told BBC Scotland News that when she asked her former workplace for time off after her loss, their response made an already traumatic time even harder."My boss just automatically assumed I'd want to come back to work after that and said 'will you be back tomorrow, or maybe the next day?'"And I was obviously, like, no, I'm going to need a bit of time."It felt that a lot of what I was feeling was sort of wrong, like it was a shameful thing I'd gone through, and no-one wanted to address it and say do you need some time to yourself?"Just walking around my house afterwards, it was hard. I couldn't go into the spare bedroom because that was going to be their bedroom."It was almost impossible to get out of bed, let alone go to work and be normal."Beth said her only option was to take unpaid leave, and the experience resulted in her leaving her job. Abi Clarke set up the Miscarriage Information Support Service, based in was after her own experience of baby also welcomed news of the proposed leave change."After such a traumatic loss - whatever your experience may be, however early, however late you were - it is a loss," she said."It is a bereavement - you're grieving."When you get that pregnancy test, when you get that positive your life changes - and when you have that loss, again your life changes again - it's something that always sticks with you."Just having that acknowledgement, being able to say that it's ok, that you've had a loss, it's not your fault - but also to know there's support available there as well." 'A uniquely devastating experience' When sports writer Michael McEwan and his wife went for their 12-week scan, they were also told they had lost their baby."In that moment my life completely changed. I don't think I've been the same since," he said."It's the most uniquely devastating, crushing experience, frankly, that I've ever had."The couple suffered two further miscarriages, before their daughter, now aged seven, was said his workplace at the time was supportive but that, with hindsight, he thought he maybe went back too quickly."I think I went back to work two days later," he said. "But it wasn't the right thing at that time."It's hard to articulate unless you've been through it - at the point you discover you're going to become a parent, you start behaving and feeling and acting like a parent."Even when you can't reach out and touch them, when you can't hold them, when you can't comfort them - they're still your child, and that's the part I think a lot of people don't understand."He said any progress on bereavement leave was a "positive thing"."It can only help people - and I wish it had been around 10 years ago," he added.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Zero hour contract ban to include agency workers in employment bill
Agency workers will be included in a ban on "exploitative" zero hour contracts as part of ammendments to the government's employment reform bill, the BBC new rules will mean that agency workers will have to be offered a contract guaranteeing a minimum number of hours each is one of a number of additions to the Employment Rights Bill which will be outlined on Tuesday. While unions welcomed the inclusion of agency workers in the ban, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents the sector, said the change should not "undermine" the "flexibility" that zero hour contracts offer some workers. Agency workers who choose to be on zero hour contracts will also be made eligible for compensation if their shifts are changed at short notice, it is the amendments will not spell out what "short notice" are around one million agency staff in the UK, working across areas such as warehouses, in hospitality and within the Labour government pledged last year to ban "exploitative zero hours contracts" as part of the Employment Rights minimum hours offered in a contract to agency workers will be calculated according to the average number of hours they normally BBC understands that the government is yet to decide whether this will be based on a 12-week reference period or unions have been campaigning for agency workers to be included in the legislative changes to prevent employers getting round the proposed zero hours rules by hiring agency staff. Paul Novak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said the government was right to close this "loophole".He said agency workers "make up a significant proportion of the zero hours workforce and need protections from bad working practices too".But the REC said it was concerned about the deputy chief executive, Kate Shoesmith, said people choose agency work "for the flexibility it provides at a time and stage in their life" and that the new rules must not undermine added that time should be given "to ensure any legislative changes do not conflict with existing and hard-won protections for agency workers". The REC would "keep working with the government to ensure that," she said. "Fire and rehire" The BBC understands that the government will table 250 amendments on Tuesday. They will include doubling of the penalty imposed on companies that engage in so-called "fire and rehire'' means that if they fail to properly consult employees before dismissing and then rehiring them on less favourable terms, they could be forced to pay the worker 180 days' worth of pay in compensation up from the current 90 day penalty amendments also contain a commitment to extend sick pay to workers earning under £123 a week from the first day of their will be entitled to 80% of their average weekly earnings or statutory sick pay - which is currently £116.75 per week – whichever is to qualify for statutory sick pay, a worker must have been ill for three days in a will also be changes to rules around trade union recognition and the ability of unions to take industrial government is proposing that workers will have to give their employers 10 days' warning of any strike action – rather than the existing 14 days' there can be a ballot for union recognition if 10% of the workforce is a member of a government had been consulting on lowering it to 2% but the proposed amendment will not state a figure and will simply give the secretary of state the power to lower the 10% Novak said the changes were about ''creating a modern economy that works for workers and business alike'' and that driving up standards "will stop good employers from being undercut by the bad, and will mean more workers benefit from a union voice".Several business groups have been critical of the government for not providing more detail about how the legislation will work in are unlikely to be satisfied by what's in the Beaumont, executive director of the Federation of Small Businesses, said that "anyone hoping to see government take serious account of the concerns of small employers looks likely to remain disappointed for the time being".He said: "There is a huge gulf between the stated aims of this bill and the real world negative impact on jobs and growth."
