Theresa May to back radical overhaul of workers' rights
Matthew Taylor's review to focus on blurred boundary between employees and self-employed
Theresa May is to back plans for a radical overhaul of workers' rights to better reflect 21st-century employment practices, says The Guardian.
Matthew Taylor, who was appointed by the Prime Minister to lead a review of the gig economy and modern work, said he would be recommending changes to the rights of self-employed workers in his report, which will be published in June.
He added he will highlight the blurring of boundaries between the rights afforded to the self-employed and those classified as employees.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A growing number of companies, particularly in the delivery sector, now use self-employed workers, who are not entitled to the likes of holiday or sick pay.
However, some argue they are not truly self-employed as their work is typically dictated by the firm for whom they work.
In the UK, a company cannot classify anyone as self-employed if they do not take any financial risk or set the terms and hours they work.
Employment law, however, has a middle ground option of "worker", the status accorded to Uber drivers by a tribunal last year, although this still does not bring with it the right to redundancy pay or to claim unfair dismissal, for example.
Taylor said: "We don't accept the idea of kind of wage slavery, the idea of people at work having no choice, no voice, no capacity to influence what's going on around them."
A number of high-profile legal cases in the past few months have hinged on the balance between employers' control and the rights and entitlements offered to those they employ.
In October, Uber lost a landmark employment tribunal case brought by drivers "who said the stringent conditions placed on their work by the company meant they were… employees who were entitled to minimum wage and sick pay", says The Guardian.
There could also be tax implications from the review, after this month's Budget saw Philip Hammond attempt to increase national insurance contributions for self-employed workers.
People who work for themselves currently pay three per cent less national insurance than those directly employed, despite having the same pension rights following reforms in recent years.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Sarah Moss picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The author shares works by Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Wordsworth and Ross Gay
By The Week UK Published
-
Kamala Harris' 'pragmatic' plan for the economy
The Explainer Tax credits for manufacturing, small businesses, affordable housing
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
TV to watch in October, from 'Disclaimer' and 'The Franchise'
The Week Recommends An HBO comedy from the 'Veep' creator, a mystery from master filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and a reboot of an '80s classic
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Tamils stranded on 'secretive' British island in Indian Ocean
Under the Radar Migrants 'unlawfully detained' since 2021 shipwreck on UK-controlled Diego Garcia, site of important US military base
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Britain's Labour Party wins in a landslide
Speed Read The Conservatives were unseated after 14 years of rule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will voter apathy and low turnout blight the election?
Today's Big Question Belief that result is 'foregone conclusion', or that politicians can't be trusted, could exacerbate long-term turnout decline
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published