The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee published a report on 18 April as part of its inquiries into post-pandemic economic growth in which it makes several recommendations around workers' rights and protections.
The committee calls on the government to introduce a right for workers to be consulted and notified where technology will result in their surveillance, and to consult on an enforceable code of practice on its use. It asks the government to reconsider the need for an Employment Bill to create more flexible constructions of work, arguing that full or part-time work is an outdated legal construction of work. It also recommends that the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill 2022-23 be extended so there is a default right to a secure contract that reflects working hours after 26 weeks of work, a right to four weeks' notice of working schedules and a right to compensation for cancelled shifts.
The committee recommends that research is commissioned on the prevalence and nature of pregnancy discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace so that stronger preventative measures can be put in place if needed. It also asks the government to set out its plans to increase take-up of shared parental leave.
The committee also recommends that the government proceeds with its plans to establish a single enforcement body and sets out its plans to provide statutory protection from umbrella companies that deprive workers of rights and remuneration.
Finally, the committee recommends greater scrutiny of provisions relating to employment rights that will be sunsetted or incorporated into domestic law under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022-23.
