F
FRONT OF HOUSE
is needed, perhaps, or
that processes could be
made more efficient by
reducing intermediaries.
But big businesses
should watch out for
‘prosumers’ on the fringes
(individual content
creators, manufacturers
and distributors in the
sharing economy). The
evolution of prosumption
– ie, the fact that we, as
consumers, carry out
productive activities
during our leisure –
has itself been highly
disruptive, but for it
to work, centralised
platforms such as Airbnb,
Facebook or the Apple
Store had to emerge.
However, blockchain
enables individuals to
take matters into their
own hands, not with
content, products or
services on one platform
but with platforms
themselves. That means
companies could find
themselves blindsided far
more rapidly in the future.
8
7
6
6.3%
5
4
3
2
1
0
Potential
growth
from the
responsible
use of
workforce
data
Government’s ‘vision’ for the
future workforce outlined in
Good Work Plan
Following the publication of
The Taylor Review of Modern
Working Practices and follow-up
consultations, the government
issued its Good Work Plan in
December, outlining its vision
for the “future of the UK labour
force”. Taking Matthew Taylor’s
central recommendations as
its broad template, the plan
revolves around: fair and decent
work, clarity for workers and
employers, and fairer enforcement.
Key recommendations include:
• clarification about em ployment status
and the tests employers can use to
identify who count as employees, casual
workers or self-employed contractors
6.1% • a new right for workers who work
variable hours to request “more
predictable and stable” contracts after
26 weeks’ work
Potential
losses
from the
irresponsible
use of
workforce
data • all workers (not just employees) to
have the right to a written statement
of particulars – effectively a ‘contract’
• extending the relevant break in service
for the calculation of the continuous
service qualifying period from one
to four weeks
• banning the use of pay-between-
assignment contracts which allow
businesses an opt-out from equal
pay arrangements for agency workers
compared to their permanent workers
• more transparency around holiday
pay entitlement
• empowering employees by lowering the
threshold required for a request to set up
employee information and consultation
channels from 10% to 2% of employees
(the 15-employee minimum threshold
will be retained)
•
a ban on employers making
deductions from staff tips
• strengthening the enforcement of
employment tribunals (though no
details are yet available).
For now, the word ‘vision’ is the
key. The plan has been criticised
for its vague aspirations, its
failure fully to endorse Taylor’s
recommendations around the
gig economy and for
side-stepping the elephant in the
room: Brexit.
There’s some way to go before
the plan’s proposals begin their
legislative journey; the earliest
any of the changes will come
into force will be April 2020.
The plan may be an important
staging post on a journey
towards a revised employment
framework, but breath holding is
not recommended.
The Good Work Plan, the
Taylor Review and consultation
responses are all available
at gov.uk
March – May 2019
// 13