Labour struggles to agree on detail of rights reforms

The Business Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister are reportedly at odds over plans to hand workers full employment rights from day one in a job. The Telegraph has been told that Jonathan Reynolds and Angela Rayner were in disagreement over how far reforms should go. Ms Rayner is understood to be pushing to hand staff full-employment rights from day one following a short probation period but Reynolds is said to prefer the idea of shortening the qualification period for full employment rights but still requiring a probation period of almost a year. “Day one rights is proving very difficult,” a Whitehall source said. “Angela is less keen on a longer probation period, Reynolds thinks nine months is reasonable. It’s unclear if an agreement will be reached.” Meanwhile, the FT reports on how experts are warning that if loopholes in worker status rules aren’t closed, Labour’s new protections will only incentivise businesses to take people on as self-employed contractors, temps or agency workers rather than as employees. Finally, lawyers have warned that Labour’s plans risk overwhelming employment tribunals. Ben Smith, of the employment law firm GQ Littler, said this would “potentially open up a lot of claims” when the system is already backlogged.