On 17 December, the UK government unveiled a package of labour reforms, which it believes are the biggest for 20 years. The government’s Good Work Plan, which is a response to the Taylor report issued in July 2017 (see article n°10296), scraps the so-called “Swedish derogation” and introduces unalterable rights for all workers from their first day of work, as well as tougher penalties for employers that do not meet their obligations.
From their first day of work, people in the UK will now have to be provided, in writing, with a statement of their rights, such as eligibility for sick leave, parental leave and pay. This small revolution – in a country where until now only those classified as employees would be given such information, after two months of work – applies to everyone: employees, workers, freelance workers in the so-called gig economy, and people on zero-hour contracts, which offer no guarantee of minimum...
Do you have information to share with us?