1:00 AM 7th November 2024
business
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YouGov surveyed 1,000 business decision-makers to assess how they perceive the potential impacts of the proposed Employment Rights Bill, which the government is in the process of making into law.
The Bill contains significant changes to workers’ rights, such as altering zero-hours contracts, expanding Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) eligibility, and setting flexible working as a default.
Awareness and overall perception of the Employment Rights Bill
The survey found that 18% of business leaders believe they are well-informed about the bill with those associated with large organisations (250+ employees) more likely to say they know a lot (24%). Some 51% know a little about it, while 21% have heard of it but know no details. This leaves only 9% unaware of the bill, suggesting high general awareness among decision-makers.
When asked about the bill’s potential impact on their business, responses varied. Two in five business decision makers anticipate a positive effect, while three in ten (29%) expect a negative impact. Some 23% say it will make no difference.
Flexible working requirements and operational concerns
The bill also aims to make flexible working the default, granting employees the right to request flexible arrangements from their first day unless employers have legitimate business reasons to deny it. While 27% of businesses feel completely ready for this shift and 43% are somewhat ready, businesses still foresee challenges:
33% anticipate difficulty organizing workloads
41% foresee increased operational costs and reduced productivity
29% expect challenges in managing remote workers effectively
24% do not anticipate facing challenges related to flexible working requirements
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) adjustments
The Employment Rights Bill proposes removing the waiting period and earnings threshold for Statutory Sick Pay, meaning all employees would be eligible from day one of illness, regardless of income. Business leaders largely support these changes, with 61% expressing support and 34% in opposition. However, they also expect financial implications:
18% anticipate a significant financial impact, and 33% expect a moderate one
24% foresee little impact, while 18% say there will be no impact
Restrictions on fire and rehire practices
The bill plans to limit the practice of “fire and rehire,” which allows companies to terminate and rehire employees under less favourable terms. Support for this change is high, with 69% of decision-makers in favour and only 21% opposed. However, 48% of business leaders believe restricting fire and rehire could impact their ability to adjust employee conditions, while 42% say it would have no effect on their operational flexibility.
This post was originally published on here
