Workers’ representatives have welcomed UK government plans to give greater rights to millions, amid reports ministers are about to bring forward a bill to grant sick pay, maternity pay and protection against unfair dismissal from an employee’s first day in the job.
Ministers have set themselves an ambitious timetable to introduce a law to deliver a “once-in-a-generation” overhaul of employment rights within 100 days of taking office, and it is reported a bill will be brought forward next week to start that process.
“We’re expecting that this bill is going to be part of the government’s positive and ambitious plan to make work pay and that that is going to boost incomes and raise living standards across the UK,” said the Trades Union Congress’s head of employment, Nicola Smith.
“We have to wait and see the content of the bill when it’s published, but we think it is going to be a crucial first step to delivering better quality jobs across the country.”
Reports have suggested the bill will include measures such as a better deal for new parents, day-one protection against unfair dismissal and statutory sick pay from the first day of illness.
But ministers are expected to abandon a statutory “right to switch off” after talks with business leaders, the Times reported, and have rejected an approach used in some countries where companies are legally required to draw up a code of conduct setting out when managers are not allowed to contact staff. Ministers are expected to instead encourage companies to devise guidelines, the report said.
More than 7 million people will gain rights to claim sick pay, maternity pay and protection against unfair dismissal from their first day in the job, according to the newspaper. Currently, people are not entitled to sick pay until the fourth day of their illness – with those who earn less than £123 a week ineligible to claim.
The TUC said its position was that every worker should be entitled to either statutory sick pay or their average weekly earnings – whichever is lower.
Labour is also expected to announce next week that women will be entitled to apply for maternity pay from their first day in the job rather than waiting six months and they will receive better protection against dismissal when they return to work. More fathers are expected to get rights to paternity pay.
The overhaul of workers’ rights will also involve probation periods being reduced to six months. However, bosses could reportedly still dismiss workers during probation periods without a full performance management process as long as they provided a letter giving their reasons.
The Department for Business and Trade said it did not comment on speculation.