Retail industry bodies urge government to accept new changes to Employee Rights Bill

Proposed changes include changing guaranteed hours from a “right to have” to a “right to request”, unfair dismissal claimed after six months of service instead of being a one-day right as drafted, and defining reasonable notice for shift changes as 48 hours.

Many groups are urging MPs to accept new House of Lords amendments to the workers’ rights package when it reaches the House of Commons.

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said the House of Lords had listened to concerns and put forward “positive, practical and pragmatic amendments to the Employment Rights Bill”, but she said more can be done.

Dickinson said: “The industry has lost 350,000 jobs over the past ten years, and current proposals around guaranteed hours, in particular, could threaten the availability of local flexible part-time jobs, which support so many people from so many backgrounds into work. 

“There must now be a much more strategic dialogue between employers, unions and the government, to collectively find solutions that will work for everyone. We share the same goal – punishing unscrupulous employers who do not treat their employees fairly, delivering secure work for employees, and protecting the availability of jobs in communities across the UK.”

Federation of Small Businesses government affairs director David Hale told City AM it was “essential” that the government accepts the changes proposed by the Lords, including a “crucial” proposal which extends workers’ qualifying period to six weeks.

British Chamber of Commerce deputy director of public policy Jane Gratton also said MPs should back the new changes if they want businesses to help “grow the economy and create more opportunities for people across the country”.

Make UK head of employment Jamie Cater told the newspaper that the government needs to reflect on the planned reforms to “ensure employers retain appropriate flexibility when recruiting the skills they need.”

“A right for employees to request, rather than be offered, a guaranteed hours contract if they are on zero or ‘low’ hours as suggested by the Lords is the right approach,” he said.

Labour recently delivered a new workers’ rights package with measures such as banning “fire and rehire”, which is popular with unions.

However, many retailers and industry bodies are concerned about employees having new rights from the first day on the job.

A government spokesperson said: “These changes would undermine new rights for millions of workers, and that is why the government rejected them.

“The government was elected with a clear manifesto commitment to make work pay and that is exactly what we will do.

“That’s why our landmark Employment Rights Bill will deliver these new rights for more than 15 million workers in the UK as part of our plan for change.”