Employers are in support of the current employment law rights as negotiations to leave the European Union continue.
The CIPD asked 500 employers about the 28 areas of employment law and found the majority thought all areas were necessary.
Legislation deemed important included:
- unfair dismissal laws (93%)
- the national minimum wage (87%)
- parental rights at work (82%)
- agency worker laws (75%)
- working time regulations (74%).
While regulations were considered necessary, employers thought some regulations were poorly drafted or difficult to apply.
For example, agency worker laws were valued by 75% of businesses but only 36% thought they were well drafted or easy to apply.
When asked which areas should be the focus of future legislation, wellbeing (36%) and technology (30%) came out on top.
When looking at the wider context of employment laws and practices, CIPD found:
- 52% go beyond the legal minimum requirements when implementing employment law
- 69% agree employment law improves the quality of employees’ working lives
- 34% want the existing level of tribunal fees maintained
- 15% want tribunal fees abolished.
Rachel Suff, employment adviser at the CIPD, said:
“As we debate the future of employment regulation, both in the general election and in Brexit negotiations, it is vital we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater by making sweeping changes to employment legislation that businesses may not want.”
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