'Significant surprise gets right balance'

Employment experts have their say on Government decision to U-turn on introducing day one rights for workers

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SENIOR employment lawyers at Staffordshire’s biggest law firm, Knights, say the government's U-turn on introducing day one employment rights for workers is a ‘significant surprise’ but ‘gets the balance right.

The government has announced a U-turn on its manifesto commitment to offer all workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from their first day in a job.

The Employment Rights Bill will now introduce the right after six months instead, following concerns it would discourage businesses from hiring.

The government says the change will stop new employment legislation being further delayed in the House of Lords, where it has faced challenge in recent weeks.

Reacting to the news Karen Morovic, Employment Partner at Brampton-based Knights, said:

“The change by the government is a significant surprise and one wonders if Angela Rayner had still been in her position whether this would have happened.