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Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill

Inquiry

The newly re-formed Business and Trade Committee is launching its first call for evidence on the Government’s new flagship Employment Rights Bill.

The new Government has announced a comprehensive overhaul of employment law in what it is calling the ‘biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.’ The ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ sets out the Government’s agenda to boost wages, reduce insecure work and grow Britain’s economy.

The wide-ranging Bill currently passing through Parliament (you can track its progress here) sets out to:

Ban exploitative zero-hours contracts
End ‘Fire and Rehire’ and ‘Fire and Replace’
Make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal a day one right
Strengthen statutory sick pay
Make flexible working the default from day one
Strengthen protections for pregnant women and new mothers returning to work
Strengthen protections from sexual harassment at work
Strengthen legislation around the allocation of tips
Strengthen protections around collective redundancy
Introduce a new right to bereavement leave
Establish a new Single Enforcement Body, called the Fair Work Agency
Establish Fair Pay Agreements in the adult social care sector
Reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body
Upgrade Trade Union legislation

The Committee is launching this inquiry, which will take written and oral evidence with a view to informing the later stages of the Bill’s passage through Parliament, to help assess whether it will achieve these aims. Areas to consider include:

How the Bill will contribute to the Government’s stated goal of achieving the fastest growth in the G7.
Whether the Employment Rights Bill will adequately protect workers, improve security at work and raise living standards in every part of the country.
The impact the Bill will have on businesses, in particular investment rates, start-up rates, the supply of labour and the employment rate.
How to ensure adequate protection against exporting poor labour standards, including concerns over forced labour in international supply chains.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Friday 6 December 2024.

Work news

Close loopholes that let rogue firms undercut the best of Britain’s employers by exploiting workers

In a report today the BTC calls for the Employment Rights Bill, currently heading to report stage in its passage through Parliament, to close once and for all the loopholes that have allowed some companies to exploit work insecurity and undercut Britain’s outstanding employers.

BTC questions Frasers Group, Evri, Deliveroo and Uniqlo on the impact of gig-economy style “self-employment” and zero-hours contracts

On Tuesday the BTC will hold the final evidence session in its current inquiry Making Work Pay: The Employment Rights Bill, with a look at the reality of employment status, the gig economy and zero-hours contracts.

10 January 2025

BTC questions Shein, Temu, McDonalds, Tesco, Anti-Slavery Commissioner on labour rights and supply chain integrity

The BTC will hold the second evidence session in its inquiry Making Work Pay: The Employment Rights Bill, questioning McDonalds, Tesco and the British Retail Consortium as well as Chinese global online retailers Shein and Temu on labour rights in their national operations and international supply chains.

BTC launches major new inquiry into flagship Employment Rights Bill

The Business and Trade Committee is launching its first call for evidence in a major new inquiry into the Government’s flagship Employment Rights Bill.

1 November 2024

Contact us

Email: commonsbtc@parliament.uk
Phone: 020 7219 8586 (General enquiries) | 020 7219 4984 (media enquiries)
Address: Business and Trade Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA