The Government is consulting (Good Work Plan: one-sided flexibility - addressing unfair flexible working practices ) on proposed new measures including compensation for workers when shifts are cancelled at short notice, entitlement to a reasonable period of notice for their allocated shifts and additional protections for individuals who are penalised if they do not accept shifts last minute.
As part of the Good Work Plan, the largest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation, millions of flexible workers will benefit from new rights and extra protections if they lose out on work, under proposed government reforms.
Following the Matthew Taylor review, which found that zero hours contracts work for the majority of those on them giving them the flexibility they seek, but recommended that the Low Pay Commission should examine the issue of one- sided flexibility.
Nearly 40% of UK workers say that their hours can vary from week-to-week, with approximately 1.7 million individuals feeling anxious that their working hours could change unexpectedly.
The government’s proposed reforms will allow flexible workers to retain their autonomy that suits them, while allowing businesses to continue using them to cope with peaks in demand.
The proposed measures follow the government’s announcement that it is consulting on creating a single labour market enforcement body, which will strengthen protections for workers and provide them with new rights.
The consultation proposes new measures for flexible workers, including:
• compensation for workers when shifts are cancelled at short notice • entitlement to a reasonable period of notice for their allocated shifts • additional protections for individuals who are penalised if they do not accept shifts last minute
CIPP comment During the course of the consultation period, the CIPP policy team will be surveying members and the wider payroll profession for their views and plan to also hold a think tank roundtable meeting to discuss the implications of the Government’s proposals. The think tank will be open to full, fellow and chartered members – to note your expression of interest please email us at policy.
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Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families 23 July 2019
The Government has launched a package of proposals seeking views on measures to support parents enter, remain and return to the workforce. The consultation covers three areas: Parental leave and pay; Neonatal leave and pay; and Transparency of flexible working and family related leave and pay policies.
Parental leave and pay (closing date: 29 November 2019)
Shared Parental Leave now offers mothers the flexibility to transfer leave to the father and has given families much greater choice over who cares for their new child in the first year. Government recognises that this kind of cultural change takes time, and evidence shows that mothers still take on the majority of the childcare responsibilities. The government is committed to giving parents equality of opportunities at home and work. The recent Gender Equality at Every Stage: A Roadmap for Change (the Gender Equality Roadmap) sets out a range of actions that the government is taking to support women’s economic empowerment and close the gender pay gap. Government is now seeking views on options for reforming parental leave, and the role it can play in achieving these objectives. In addition, an evaluation of Shared Parental Leave and Pay is currently being undertaken and government will consider the responses to the parental leave and pay consultation together with the findings of that evaluation.
The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals
Payroll: need to know
cipp.org.uk
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