Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Accepted
Paragraph: 122
Reconsider need for Employment Bill to create new flexible work constructions with appropriate worker rights.
Recommendation
We conclude that the outdated legal construction of work—namely full or part-time work—is preventing many people who wish to be economically active from being so. For many workers who do work more flexibly, or on a freelance basis, they are not afforded the rights and protections that full or part-time workers receive. We call on the Government to reconsider the need for an Employment Bill in the upcoming King’s Speech so that legislation can be brought forward to, among other things, create new, more flexible constructions of work that include appropriate rights and protections for workers.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of flexible work and points to advice published by its Flexible Working Taskforce in December 2021 on good practice, but does not commit to reconsidering an Employment Bill or creating new legal constructions of work.
Paragraph Reference:
122
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government agrees on the importance of ensuring that people have the time they need for their lives outside of work. The Government’s Flexible Working Taskforce—which comprises business groups, unions, and others—has produced advice on what constitutes good practice when considering this issue in the context of home and hybrid working. This was published independently by members in December 2021 and is accessible on the CIPD website.