Amendments Supported by BRC’s Helen Dickinson
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed amendments to the Employments Right Bill put forward by the House of Lords last week. The proposed changes include removing the bill’s ‘day one’ rights for employees to claim unfair dismissal and replacing it with a qualifying period of six months, down from the current two-year period. It also includes the removal of a worker’s right to guaranteed-hour contracts after 12 weeks of service with a ’right to request’ guaranteed hours. BRC’s chief executive Helen Dickinson labelled the changes as ‘practical and pragmatic’, adding that these amendments would help protect the availability of valuable, local, part-time, and entry-level jobs across the country. She warned that ignoring these suggested changes when the Bill returns to the Commons could undermine the Government’s plans to get Britain working again as fewer flexible, part-time jobs will be available. The BRC has previously raised concerns about Labour’s original proposals, which could negatively impact job flexibility in the retail sector and increase costs for retailers. Dickinson added that there is still more work needed to make the Employment Rights Bill fit for purpose: ‘Even with these amendments accepted, retailers remain worried about the consequences for jobs from other areas of the Bill. 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 that support many people from various backgrounds into work. Of the three million people working in retail, half work part-time, allowing them to manage work alongside their other life commitments and work as much or as little as they are able to.
Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about the amendments to the Employment Rights Bill and includes quotes from the BRC’s chief executive. It also discusses the potential impact on job flexibility in the retail sector and the concerns raised by the BRC. The only issue is the link at the end, which may be considered irrelevant as it redirects to a different topic.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about the amendments to the Employment Rights Bill and its potential impact on the retail sector. It includes quotes from the BRC’s chief executive and discusses concerns regarding job flexibility and part-time jobs. However, it could benefit from more in-depth analysis or expert opinions on the long-term consequences of these changes.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses amendments to the Employment Rights Bill that could impact job flexibility in the retail sector, particularly for part-time and seasonal workers. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed these changes as they believe it will help protect valuable jobs and prevent increasing costs for retailers. However, there is no direct mention of specific financial markets or companies being directly impacted by this news.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: No extreme event is mentioned in the article.
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