ACS has given evidence to the bill committee for the Employment
Rights Bill, urging the Government to avoid unnecessary
bureaucracy for retailers that are already providing genuine
flexibility, security and local employment in their
businesses.
The session featured James Lowman (ACS), Helen Dickinson (BRC)
and Claire Costello (Co-op), outlining the anticipated impact of
the measures set out in the Employment Rights Bill on
businesses.
The Employment Rights Bill was first published in October this
year, featuring 28 employment reforms aimed at meeting the
Government's manifesto commitment to ‘make work pay'.
Speaking during the committee inquiry session, ACS chief
executive James Lowman said: “Working in the convenience sector
already provides genuine two-sided flexibility. We support the
intention of the Bill, and it's important that the measures in
the Bill are not just pro-worker, but pro-business and
pro-investment. We are committed to working with the Government
to ensure that the Bill does not have unintended consequences –
particularly when it comes to unnecessary bureaucracy at a time
when retailers are under pressure to make every hour in the
business as productive as possible.”
Measures announced in the Employment Rights Bill include:
- Ending exploitative zero hours contracts and the right to
guaranteed hours based on the hours worked during a 12 week
reference period
- Giving greater protections against unfair dismissal from day
one of employment
- Day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave
for workers
- Changing the law to make flexible working the default for
all, unless the employer can prove it's unreasonable
- Tackling low pay by accounting for the cost of living when
setting the Minimum Wage and removing age bands (as already
announced in the remit given to the Low Pay Commission earlier
this year)
- Establishing a new Fair Work Agency that will bring together
different Government enforcement bodies, enforce holiday pay and
strengthen statutory sick pay
- Requiring employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent
sexual harassment in the workplace
- Requiring reasonable notice for shift changes, and payment to
colleagues for change or cancellation of shifts at short notice
(specifics of notice periods to be determined)
