11
Recommendation
Third Report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Deferred
Previous Governments have done much work to improve the zero-hours contract policy, however, this work has not gone far enough. The coronavirus pandemic has sharpened the focus on the systemic issues with the zero-hours contracts policy, including the disproportionate number of BAME people on zero-hours contracts. The pandemic has highlighted …
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Previous Governments have done much work to improve the zero-hours contract policy, however, this work has not gone far enough. The coronavirus pandemic has sharpened the focus on the systemic issues with the zero-hours contracts policy, including the disproportionate number of BAME people on zero-hours contracts. The pandemic has highlighted the unequal way that zero-hours contracts operate: employers can deny furlough to employees and instead reduce their working hours to zero. In some cases, workers on zero-hours contracts are ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay. We recommend that the Government extends the eligibility criteria for Statutory Sick Pay to ensure all workers on zero-hours contracts can claim Statutory Sick Pay.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it is committed to helping the lowest paid through the pandemic and is considering proposals from the 'Health Is Everyone’s Business' consultation on reforming SSP, with a response expected shortly, rather than immediately extending SSP eligibility.
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Government Equalities Office
12
Recommendation
Third Report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Deferred
We are deeply concerned by the impact of the zero-hours contracts on BAME people, particularly throughout the course of the pandemic. While in some cases and for some people, the zero-hours contract policy can be a suitable employment option, the pandemic has clearly demonstrated the need to review the way …
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We are deeply concerned by the impact of the zero-hours contracts on BAME people, particularly throughout the course of the pandemic. While in some cases and for some people, the zero-hours contract policy can be a suitable employment option, the pandemic has clearly demonstrated the need to review the way the zero-hours contract policy operates and its impact on BAME people. The long-term impacts of zero-hours contracts, including the poor quality of jobs, should also be considered in the review. We recommend that the Commission for Race and Ethnic Disparities reviews the zero-hours contract policy and considers the disproportionate impact on BAME workers during the pandemic. This review should be conducted by the end of 2021 and the findings should be reported in early 2022. (Paragraph 88) Reviewing Universal Credit
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Government response AI summary
The government states the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities is already considering employment as a priority, but defers commenting on its possible findings or recommendations regarding zero-hours contracts until after its report in February.
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Government Equalities Office