Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Deferred
Extend Workers Bill provisions to include secure contracts, schedule notice, and cancelled shift compensation.
Recommendation
We also agree with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that policy solutions are required to ensure more, good-quality flexible job opportunities are available for workers on low pay. We note the Government’s support for the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, but we recommend that the Government extend the provisions of that private Members’ bill so that there is a: i) default right to a secure contract after 26 weeks of work; ii) right to four weeks’ notice of working schedules; and iii) right to compensation for cancelled shifts (Paragraph 123) 68 Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response focuses on its actions to deter 'fire and rehire' practices, including publishing a draft statutory code of practice for consultation, but does not address the committee's specific recommendations to extend the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
As noted in the Committee’s report, the Government is supporting the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, which will give individuals on atypical contracts, especially those on zero hours contracts, the right to request a more predictable working pattern. The new right will allow a qualifying worker to make an application to change their existing working pattern if it lacks predictability in terms of the hours they are required to work, the times they are required to work, or if it is a fixed term contract of less than 12 months. atypical work, empowering and encouraging workers to begin conversations with their employers about their contracts, while allowing workers to continue working varied hours if they wish to do so. Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets: Government Response 15 Zero hours contracts are an important part of the UK’s flexible labour market, for both employers where there is not a constant demand for staff, and for individuals who may need to balance work around other commitments such as childcare and study. Around 3% of workers in the UK workforce are on a zero hours contract and for many of these individuals this may be the kind of flexibility they want. The new right will be a right to request and not a right to have, to ensure that businesses are not unfairly burdened by it (for example if the costs of providing a worker with a more predictable working pattern would be too burdensome). The Bill includes a list of specific statutory grounds on which an employer may decline a request, similar to those established for the existing right to request flexible working. The Government previously held a consultation inviting views on policies which aim to tackle some of the challenges associated with non-guaranteed hours. These included proposals on providing reasonable notice of shifts and providing compensation for shifts cancelled at short notice. We are analysing these results and will respond in due course.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗