Government must hold firm in their ambition for the Employment Rights Bill

Responding to the Employment Rights Bill, Abby Jitendra, Principal Policy Adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: 

"Good quality jobs give people economic security and a solid foundation on which to build a better life. But too many people are in poorly paid, poor-quality jobs which don’t give them the flexibility to work and care, which has led to a dramatic rise in workers experiencing in-work poverty. 

"This bill is a clear signal that the government wants to end low-paid, poor-quality jobs and give more power to workers. Expanded rights to secure work, strengthened rights to paid leave and a new national body for care worker pay negotiation will improve workers’ everyday lives. But, most importantly, a new Fair Work Agency will ensure that rights on paper are also rights in practice.  

"These measures must be delivered in full and not watered down. The government should hold firm in their ambition and expand their paid parental leave and care leave offer, tackle labour market inequalities, and ensure every worker, regardless of their status or employer, can access good work."