Further Employment Law Changes

The Government has announced that it intends to make a number of changes to employment laws to prohibit unfair practices in the workplace, including the use of “zero hour” contracts.

Zero hour contracts are employment arrangements where the employee does not have a set number of hours per week but has to remain available to work. The Government’s concerns are as a consequence of recent publicity relating to the increasing use of such employment arrangements.

The Government’s proposed changes will be set out later this year in a new Employment Standards Bill, and will incorporate a number of changes relating to tougher sanctions such as penalties, clearer record keeping requirements on the part of employers, and increased and updated powers for labour inspectors.

We will keep you posted on the developments as they occur.