In response to new forms of work, the Government is proposing a number of changes to employment law coming in to force on April 6, 2020.

• The break in continuity of employment will be increased from one week currently to four weeks.

This is likely to have the biggest impact on Watford temporary workers as it will easier for them to accrue the two-year qualifying service to engage unfair dismissal rights.

• For calculating a week's pay, the reference period for variable pay will increase from 12 weeks to 52 weeks. This should be a change welcomed by employers as holiday pay calculations will be less exposed to short term variations in pay.

• Agency workers will have a simplified right to equal pay as their permanent counterpart.

Other changes which currently have no commencement date include:

• Employers will be required to provide employees with their written statement of terms and conditions on the first day of work (rather than within two months) and this right will also be extended to workers.

• To encourage engagement in the workplace, the threshold required for employees to request to set up information and consultation arrangements will be lowered from 10 per cent to 2 per cent of employees, subject to the existing minimum of 15 employees.

• A ban on employers making deductions from staff tips.

• A new employment status test for self-employed workers.

• A right for workers to request a fixed working pattern.

The government is billing this Good Work Plan as the biggest reform of employment law in 20 years. However, the plan has stayed away from making any detailed proposals to tackle the increasing perceived unfairness and unlawfulness within the gig economy and for zero hours workers.

  • Michael Delaney is an employment law partner at award-winning law firm VWV, which has offices in Clarendon Road, Watford