Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Deferred
Paragraph: 109
Government asked to consult on incentives for parents and workplace protections to support careers.
Conclusion
We note that many parents are disincentivised at work from having children, at a time when the country needs more young people to work and pay taxes to cover the costs of our ageing population. We therefore ask the Government to consult on what more can be done to create the conditions to incentivise parents to have children whilst offering suitable protections at work so that time out of work does not impact their career and pay opportunities in the future.
Government Response Summary
The government's response outlines employer duties under health and safety legislation, providing guidance for managing shift workers, which is unrelated to the recommendation to consult on incentivizing parents to have children and protecting their careers.
Paragraph Reference:
109
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 19748 all employers have a duty, so far as it is reasonably practicable, to protect the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. Specifically, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 19999 require employers to assess the health and safety risks to employees, to which they are exposed whilst they are at work, and to put in place arrangements to control those risks. This includes providing employees with information about the risks of any work they carry out and ensuring they are provided with instruction and training in how to deal with those risks. Health and safety legislation therefore extends to ensuring the health and safety of nightshift workers. The Health and Safety Executive have published guidance for employers to support them in managing the health and safety of shift workers (Managing shift work [HSG 256]10) and Hints and tips for shift-workers (hse.gov.uk)11 to improve sleep quality, increase alertness and reduce health risk.