The minister for employment rights, competition and markets Justin Madders has pledged to work with ACS and its members to ensure the Employment Rights Bill is introduced “pragmatically”.
In a letter to the trade body, Madders praised the convenience sector as an essential provider of local, secure and flexible work, while recognising the ongoing challenges retailers are facing, including rising staff wages and inflation.
“We are determined to ensure that our legislation is introduced pragmatically, working with businesses like yours, so that the implementation of these changes can be managed constructively,” he wrote.
“As the bill continues through Parliament, I warmly invite ACS and all its members to work in partnership with us to help ensure our reforms get the right balance and put the principles we all share into practice.”
The bill’s measures include ending exploitative zero-hour contracts, giving greater protections against unfair dismissal from day one of employment, as well as day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave for workers.
However, the ACS had previously warned that it was important the legislation was not “just pro-worker, but pro-business and pro-investment”.
“We are committed to working with the government to ensure that the bill does not have unintended consequences – particularly when it comes to unnecessary bureaucracy at a time when retailers are under pressure to make every hour in the business as productive as possible,” said ACS CEO James Lowman during the committee inquiry session for the bill in November.
Lowman added: “We welcome the minister’s commitment to striking a balance with the Employment Rights Bill so that our members can continue to invest in creating jobs and offering services to the communities they serve. Our sector epitomises the principles of good work, creating local, secure, flexible jobs in communities through the UK.
“Separate to these reforms, the cost of employing people has increased significantly through national living wage and National Insurance Contribution rises, so the implementation of new employment law needs to be light-touch and pragmatic.”
No comments yet