PAYROLL INSIGHT
The Good Work Plan
Helen Hargreaves MSc CHFCIPPdip, CIPP associate director of policy, outlines the long-awaited government response to the 2017 review of modern working practices
I n July 2017, Matthew Taylor’s Review of Modern Working Practices (‘the Review’) was published which looked into the issues in the UK labour market, such as: the implications of new forms of work; the rise of digital platforms; and the impacts of new working models. The Review made 53 recommendations to which the government responded in February 2018. Whilst accepting all but two of the 53, the government issued a series of four consultations to seek stakeholder views on how these recommendations in the following areas should be implemented: ● employment status ● agency worker recommendations ● increasing transparency in the labour market ● enforcement of employment rights recommendations. Since 2017, information has trickled out from government, but it wasn’t until publication of the Good Work Plan (‘the Plan’) (https://bit. ly/2QdPEdY) on 17 December 2018 that we gained insight to how the government intends implementing the Review’s recommendations. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, it is not without controversy; though the government announced that the plan includes “reforms that will cement the UK’s status as a world leader in workers’ rights and first country in the world to address the challenges of the changing world of work and its impact on a modern economy”, a contributor to the Trade Union Congress’s website (https://bit.ly/2Ri8dCz )
disagreed, saying: “The reforms on employment rights introduced by the government won’t change the balance of power in the workplace.” ...nothing in the document to suggest that the employer must agree to this request The Plan has synergy with strategy recommendations made by the director of labour market enforcement (‘the director’) in May 2018 (https://bit. ly/2FXlEy1). Both the Plan and the government’s response (https:// bit.ly/2EtyGG6) to the director’s recommendations were published alongside the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC’s) advice (https://bit.ly/2RnZLS8) on the scale and nature of one-sided flexibility and options to address the issue. Together, the three documents address the government’s intention to focus on the workplace arena as a whole and deal with the issues raised by the Review. The Plan is broadly split into several main categories.
individuals realistic scope to develop and progress. But whilst recognising that the UK has a wide range of working patterns, this brings with it the potential for abuse by some employers – what the Review termed ‘one-sided flexibility’ – where some businesses have transferred too much business risk to the individual, sometimes at the detriment of their financial security and personal wellbeing. The government hopes that the Plan, which includes the following measures, will redress this imbalance. ● Legislate to give all workers the right to request a more stable contract – The Review identified that those employees who work intermittently over a period of time for the same employer can find it difficult to gain or access some employment rights. Those who are content to work varied hours each week will be able to continue; however, those who would like more certainty will be able to request a more fixed working pattern after 26 weeks’ service. There is nothing in the document to suggest that the employer must agree to this request. ● Extend the time required to break a period of continuous service to four weeks to make it easier for employees to access their rights – The Review looked in detail at the role of agency workers in the UK economy, and the difficulties such workers experience accruing employment rights when they are working flexibly or for multiple employers. Under the current system employment rights are earned over time, yet a gap of only
Fair and decent work At the heart of the Review’s
recommendations is the intention that all work should be fair and decent, and for employers to offer opportunities that give
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | February 2019 | Issue 47 26
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker