03 March 2025
As the Employment Rights Bill continues its passage through parliament, the Business and Trade Committee (BTC) has released a report exploring the bill and its impact on UK Businesses.
The report dives into the issues facing businesses who are under pressure from firms exploiting workers.
The committee makes five key recommendations:
- Be explicit in law about precise reforms to end exploitative zero-hours contracts.
- Accelerate, not slow down, reform of worker status and bogus self-employment.
- Set out a clear plans to adequately resource the Fair Work Agency. New rights must also be explained to employers. The Committee calls on Acas to lead an information campaign to do this.
- Modernise the ways unions are allowed to organise in the digital age to ensure appropriate rights of access for unions and equal time to present their case to workers.
- Review and update the Modern Slavery Act to make modern slavery statements mandatory, to introduce penalties and to “name and shame” for companies not disclosing action plans.
Chair of the committee, Rt Hon Liam Byrne, said
“We know that business is worried about the rising costs of employment but we also heard how Britain’s most outstanding employers are fantastic places to work with tried and tested ways to partner with their workforce. But we’ve also taken evidence about abuse of workers that has frankly horrified us.
“So we want ministers to make some strategic changes to the Employment Rights Bill to help make sure Britain’s best firms can no longer be undercut by rogue companies cutting corners and exploiting their workers.”
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