Seven million workers will receive sick pay “from their first day of work” under the new…

October 6, 2024, 10:08 a.m. | Updated: October 6, 2024, 10:14 a.m.

More than seven million workers will benefit from new sick pay, maternity pay and protection against unfair dismissals under new Labor plans, reports claim.

The Labor government is reportedly set to announce “once-in-a-generation” changes to workers’ rights on Thursday, aiming to grant greater protections to workers.

Under current legislation, workers are only entitled to sick pay on the fourth day of their illness. Under the Employment Rights Bill, workers will be able to claim sick pay from the first day they feel ill.

Women will have the right to claim maternity pay from their first day of work and will have greater protection against unfair dismissal, the report continues.

Trial periods, which can extend up to two years, would be capped at six months, giving workers additional protection against unfair dismissal from the first day of work.

Zero-hours contracts should also be scrapped if they are deemed “exploitative” under new laws.

Some fear the government’s new plans could draw criticism from businesses in light of the costs and burden associated with the new rights.

“Only Labor could propose an unfunded tax rise. It will not only cost the exchequer, it will also hit growth and investment,” Conservative MP Gareth Davies told the Mail.

However, Labor has ceded ground to business leaders, including abandoning a statutory “right to disconnect”, the Times newspaper reports.

“The potential for this to be positive is that by further eliminating ‘unfair’ employment practices, the overall quality of jobs in the economy increases, unfair competition is reduced and potentially more people re-enter the workforce, thereby helping to solve the UK’s business problem. ” Anna Leach, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, told the Times.

“But there is the risk of using a hammer to crack a nut, which would simply make hiring more expensive and reduce job opportunities.”

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Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, added: “The Employment Rights Bill, if implemented in full, will improve the work of millions of workers… Treating staff well will increase the productivity and standard of living. »

The plans are part of Labor’s commitment to implement new reforms within 100 days of taking office.