An MP has led a debate on strengthening employee rights for terminally ill workers.
Labour MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire Lee Barron led a debate in Westminster Hall this week proposing that people with less than six months to live gain additional employment protections.
Barron argued that there is a “loophole” that allows some employers to dismiss workers despite them having just months to live.
This loophole means some employers dismiss dying workers on grounds of capability, meaning some workers and their families end up fighting for lost wages at an already distressing time.
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Barron is a supporter of the Dying to Work campaign, which encourages employers to sign a charter committing to provide additional protections to terminally ill employees.
He said: “It is still legal in this country to sack a terminally ill worker on the grounds of capability. At a time when someone is dealing with a devastating diagnosis, they could also face the loss of their livelihood and their financial security. That is not acceptable.”
However, Justin Madders, a minister in the Department of Business and Trade, argued that the “flexible approach we currently have is the right one”.
He said: “We must deal with this issue with sensitivity, but also with flexibility. We must not only make sure that protections are in place, but enable employers and employees to have the space and freedom to come to the arrangements that suit them best.”
He added that chronic illnesses such as cancer would entitle employees to automatic protection under the Equality Act, and that this would be the case for the majority of people with a terminal illness.
At the start of 2024, the CIPD produced research showing that just a third of organisations have specific provisions for workers with a terminal illness, such as a policy, guidance or line manager training.
The CIPD has produced guidance for HR teams on supporting these employees.
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