BRC welcomes unfair dismissal u-turn

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed news that the government is no longer planning to include unfair dismissal from day one in its Employment Rights Bill.

Under the proposals, employees would have been able to take their employers to tribunal for unfair dismissal from their first day of employment but the government has ditched this in favour of a six-month threshold. Currently, employees must wait two years to gain this right.

The trade organisation called the move “an important, practical step” proving that meaningful discussion between businesses, trade unions and Government can lead to positive outcomes for everyone.

The BRC has now called for similar engagement around other areas of the bill. The body is particularly concerned with plans around guaranteed hours for those on zero-hour contracts.

According to the BRC, current proposals would “make it harder for retailers to offer local, flexible, and part-time jobs”.

BRC CEO Helen Dickinson said: “The delay to the Bill’s Royal Assent must not result in a compressed implementation roadmap. The Government has asked business to engage with its consultations on the Bill and it is crucial that the implementation timeline allows for quality engagement with high-employment industries to ensure the Bill is fit for purpose, protecting employment opportunities as well as employees.”