ERB delay shouldn’t be wasted: An impact assessment is urgently needed

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has welcomed the delay in the Employment Rights Bill moving to Royal Assent, which will now likely be in Autumn, calling it a ‘vital’ opportunity to consider a robust impact assessment.



Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Directorat APSCo commented:



“It’s clear that the Government has encountered far greater resistance to the Bill from the Lords and business departments than it had anticipated, so we are glad that there is now some additional breathing room. There is an understandable and correct concern in the professional recruitment market that implementing such a significant reform of employment rights without the full understanding of the impact it will have on business growth and the UK’s economic strength simply cannot happen.



“We saw earlier this week that there was a renewed focus from Lord Chris Holmes to reintroduce an amendment to the Bill which would see a licensing entity created for umbrella companies. It’s clear that there is still a lot to be debated on the topic and continued resistance, which in itself it telling.



“There are also a number of areas in the Employment Rights Bill proposals where the details aren’t substantial enough or haven’t faced the level of scrutiny that will only be detrimental to the Bill’s impact. For example, the changes to fire and rehire clauses would mean that it is unlawful for a company to make any contractual change, including a change of office address. This level of scrutiny is needed in any impact assessment, and this delay to Royal Assent gives the Government an opportunity to deliver that. There will be more consultations in the late summer and throughout Autumn; APSCo hopes that this opportunity is capitalised on now, to prevent future instability for the staffing sector.”







Press contact

Vickie Collinge

vickie@bluesky-pr.com

01582 790 705



About APSCo

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) is the trade association for the professional recruitment market. APSCo Global comprises APSCo South East Asia, APSCo Australia, APSCo Deutschland and APSCo United Kingdom as well as APSCo OutSource, the trade body for the RPO and MSP sectors.

Find out more: www.apscouk.org