03 Dec 2024
by Sarah Woodhouse

Employment Rights Bill | VODG Responds on Zero Hours and Sick Pay

Based on feedback from our members, VODG responded to two of the consultations linked to the Employment Rights Bill.

As part of the passage of the Employment Rights Bill, there will be a number of consultations on specific elements of legislation and guidance. The first tranche has been published focusing on specific aspects of statutory sick pay, industrial relations, zero hours contracts and collective redundancy. 

  • The consultation on Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (DWP) sought views on what percentage rate should be paid for those earning below the current rate as the legislation removes the waiting period for statutory sick pay along with the lower earnings limit. 
  • Creating a Modern Framework for Industrial Relations (Department for Business and Trade) amongst other things is seeking to simplify the amount of informationand shortening notice of   industrial action notices and introducing the enforcement mechanism for right of access. 
  • Application of Zero Hours Contracts Measures to Agency Workers (Business and Trade) introduces measures to tackle one-sided flexibility in zero hours contracts through a right to guarentee hours with a contract that reflects the number of hours regularly workers, and reasonable notce of shifts with payment for shifts cancelled or cut short. 
  • Collective Redundancy and Fire and Rehire (Business and Trade) proposes measures to strengthen the collective redundancy framework and protections for employees against fire and rehire practices. 

Based on discussions and feedback from members VODG has put in short responses to two of the consultations, at a very high level, expressing some of the strategic concerns members have. We have not gone into the detail of the proposals in our response but instead used this as an opportunity to note our concerns around forced arrangements when zero hours contracts are often requested and valued by employees; the need for any changes to hours or wages to be fully funded; and the need to understand the way services are delivered across the care and support landscape and the breadth of the workforce.

VODG Responses:

Application of Zero Hours Contracts 

Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay