Retail must not be sidelined from Employment Bill talks, says BRC

Responding to the Employment Rights Bill passing through the House of Lords and completing its parliamentary stages, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

“Government has said that dialogue and cooperation are their watchwords, and yet the largest employing sectors, like retail, have been frequently excluded from vital discussions around some of the most consequential details of the Employment Rights Bill.

“Retail provides almost three million jobs, so its input it vital to ensuring the Bill is workable for everyone. Only if business, Government and unions work together, will we be able to find the best way forward: protecting employees while promoting employment.”

“As the Bill now heads towards Royal Assent three months later than anticipated, the implementation roadmap must be revisited and not compressed. Businesses must be consulted and given the promised timings for quality engagement. If they rush implementation through, there will be severe consequences for people and jobs all over the country. And vitally, there must be no new surprises in the secondary legislation.”