BRC welcomes Lords’ changes to Employment Rights Bill

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed amendments put forward by the House of Lords to the Employment Rights Bill, describing them as “positive, practical and pragmatic” steps to protect local, flexible and part-time jobs.

Key changes proposed by peers include turning a right to guaranteed hours into a right to request them, defining 48 hours as reasonable notice for shift changes, and introducing a six-month qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal – a shift from the Bill’s original proposal of a day-one right.

Other amendments include reintroducing the 50% threshold for trade union ballots on industrial action and creating a definition for “seasonal work”, which the government must consider when drafting future regulations.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “The House of Lords has listened to our concerns, putting forward positive, practical and pragmatic amendments to the Employment Rights Bill which would help to protect the availability of valuable, local, part-time and entry level jobs up and down the country.

“To ignore these suggested changes when the Bill returns to the Commons would undermine the government’s own plans to get Britain working again as fewer flexible, part-time jobs will be available.”

Dickinson cautioned, however, that retailers remain concerned about other aspects of the Bill, particularly around guaranteed hours, which she said could impact the availability of jobs that support people balancing work with other commitments.

She added: “The industry has lost 350,000 jobs over the past ten years, and current proposals around guaranteed hours in particular could threaten the availability of local flexible part-time jobs.

“We share the same goal – punishing unscrupulous employers who do not treat their employees fairly, delivering secure work for employees, and protecting the availability of jobs in communities across the UK.”