Friday, 4 January 2019

Enforce the rules to help workers in Britain’s changing workforce

a post by Lindsay Judge for the Resolution Foundation blog

It’s here at last. Almost a year and a half after the Taylor Review was published and four consultations on, the government has finally released its plan of action to improve the quality of jobs in the UK. So is this an early Christmas present for the millions of people who work through an agency, are on a zero hour contract or find their jobs via a platform? Or simply a turkey for all of those in atypical work?

For agency workers there’s a certainly a big win: the commitment from government to repeal the ‘Swedish Derogation’, a piece of legislation that allows firms to pay agency workers who have been in post for three months-plus less than directly employed staff in the same job. From a living standards perspective that’s definitely good news, going some way to reducing the £400 a year pay penalty that agency workers experience simply because of the way they work. Moreover, the government has said it will take steps to provide agency workers with a clear statement of rights. Given we have flagged before that knowledge of holiday pay entitlements and auto-enrolment is particularly parlous, action on these fronts would be especially welcome.

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