The Government has published a number of proposals following Matthew Taylor “Good Work Review.”
The key proposals are:
- Relaxing the rules on continuity of employment, so that a break of up to four weeks between contracts will not interrupt continuity. It is currently one week.
- Extending the right to a written statement of terms and conditions to workers and requiring the employer to give it on the first day of work. It is currently only a right an employee can claim and after two months.
- Legislation to streamline the employment status tests so they are the same for employment and tax purposes, and to avoid employers mis-classifying employees/workers as self-employed.
- A ban on employers making deductions from staff tips.
- Increasing the penalty on employers for aggravating damages from £5,000 to £20,000.
- Abolishing the Swedish Derogation, which gives employers the ability to pay agency workers less than their own workers in certain circumstances.