Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has rebutted accusations that the government’s Employment Rights Bill could stifle employers.
In an interview for The Times newspaper, Reynolds attacked the previous government’s “bizarre” approach to working from home, claiming that former ministers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg had been “declaring war” on people who were not in the office.
He said that the upcoming Bill would provide “real economic benefits” and help the country to level up through default rights to request flexible working, a right to switch off and the ability to work from home.
Reynolds vowed to end the “culture of presenteeism” in UK workplaces.
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“I think it’s important to stress that good employers understand that workforce, to keep them motivated and resilient, they do need to judge people on outcomes and not a culture of presenteeism,” he said.
He also stressed that the new rights introduced under the forthcoming legislation would not force employers into arrangements such as four-day weeks and working from home.
In August, it was widely reported that the government planned to impose a new right to work a four-day week, but the Department for Business and Trade insisted this was not the case, and any changes would be under consultation with business.
He added: “I think there are times when it is absolutely necessary, it’s legitimate to need the workforce in the office. You’re basically learning from more experienced colleagues on the job.”
Business groups also expressed concerns about the tension between day-one rights for employees and the need for new hires to complete a probation period.
A recent poll by the Institute of Directors found that 57% of businesses would be less likely to hire as a result of the upcoming reforms, and a CBI poll claims they will make the UK less attractive to investors.
Reynolds told The Times that probation periods remained essential to ensure that employees “lived up to the promise they had in the interview”.
“Do we recognise there needs to be a period after which someone has started work where you’re assessing effectively, ‘is this working’, are they living up to the promise they had in the interview? That to me is what a probationary period is,” he said.
The new Labour government pledged to bring in the reforms to workers’ rights within 100 days of coming into power, and Reynolds said that it would hit the deadline with proposals, but not implementation.
“I wouldn’t like people to think the employment law framework will change overnight when we present that bill,” he told the newspaper, adding that “the quality of legislation” was more important than the pace at which it was introduced.
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