Responding to the Government's Employment Rights Bill

Date:

10 10 2024

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Responding to the Government's Employment Rights Bill, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:
The Bill contains some sensible proposals, including widening access to sick pay and strengthening the presumption towards flexible working. The UK’s diversity of employment arrangements is a real strength, increasing the chances people can find a job that suits them. But where flexibility is a one-way street in favour of the employer, this can create insecurity for workers and hold the economy back. We welcome the creation of a Fair Work Agency, which we hope will support awareness and enforcement of rights. The devil will be in the detail of these changes, and the Government should work closely with employers and trades unions to get the balance right.
These numbers also mask substantial inequalities within construction. Women account for only 10 per cent of starts in construction apprenticeships so far this year, compared to 51 per cent of apprenticeships overall. In addition, this year only 9 per cent of construction starts are by individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds, with particularly big disparities for apprentices from black or Asian backgrounds. The following years therefore present a unique opportunity to not only further boost apprenticeship numbers in the construction sector, but to expand their reach to wider groups. The new Government should work with employers and providers to seize this.

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