Employment Eye

It was the big employment law news story of the Summer of 2017: the Chief Executive of the RSA, Matthew Taylor, delivered his report, 'Good Work', which looked at modern working practices and how they might be more effectively supported by the employment law framework. The Good Work report made a number of proposals (please click here for our summary), and we have been eagerly awaiting news of which of them would be supported by the government and taken forward.

The answer is that we will have longer to wait for definitive government view on the main issues at stake -namely, how employment status is to be determined and the enforcement of employment rights. These will be subject to further consultation, along with two other consultations on the rights of agency workers and labour market transparency.

Other areas that have been approved by the government include

• promoting greater awareness / take-up of Shared Parental Leave, maternity rights and the right to request flexible working
• increasing tribunal penalties for the most serious, deliberate breaches of employment rights
• a new right for all workers to request "a more stable contract"
• enforcing vulnerable workers' holiday and sick pay.

According to the government's Press Release, the only proposal in the Good Work report which has been categorically rejected is the proposal to reduce the difference in National Insurance contributions between self-employed workers and employees.

In terms of what's next for employers, it's a case of 'wait and see' – there are no concrete reforms effective from today's announcement and we await dates for the launch of the four formal consultations which have been promised.

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact Julian Hoskins.