Latest news with #BusinessSecretary
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Moves to ban exploitative unpaid internships move closer
Moves to ban the use of exploitative unpaid internships have come a step closer after a Government announcement on Thursday. Ministers launched a call for evidence into the practice, saying it formed part of its plans for the biggest upgrade in workers' rights in a generation. The Government said internships offered young people invaluable experience as they build their careers, but added that when they were unpaid or paid below the national minimum wage, they created barriers to equal opportunity based on where people live, how old they are, or their social background. Unpaid internships are already largely banned under current law, when they are not part of an educational or training course, but ministers said wanted to strengthening protections by gathering more evidence on how unpaid internships affect young people, and how businesses use them to assess candidates. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Every young person deserves the chance to build their career through quality work experience, but good employers are still being undercut by those exploiting interns by illegally asking them to work for free. 'Our Plan for Change seeks to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we will strengthen protections for younger workers so that internships are accessible to everyone, ensuring they have the foundations to build a strong and successful career.' Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: ' Internships provide a strong platform from which to build a career, allowing young people to learn new skills and giving employers a pipeline of future talent to hire from to grow their business. 'Employers should not be taking advantage of the opportunities on offer by not paying their interns. 'This move will help us crack down on those not following the rules, so that the next generation of interns are able to gain that crucial experience whilst earning a fair wage.' Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Taking action on internships with low or no pay is absolutely the right thing to do. 'We've found that 61% of internships undertaken by recent graduates were unpaid or underpaid, effectively excluding those who can't rely on financial support from family. 'Employers will benefit from the wider pool of talent available to them, and three quarters of employers told us a ban wouldn't impact the number of opportunities they provide. 'Today's announcement marks a significant step in the right direction.' The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Parental leave probe could tackle gender pay gap, says minister
A parental leave review will look at 'shifting social and gender norms', taking into account paternal childcare, the employment rights minister has said. Justin Madders criticised a 'piecemeal approach' to designing the parental leave system over the past 134 years. Unveiling the plan, Mr Madders set out four objectives for the probe. Among these was 'support for economic growth by enabling more parents to stay in work and advance their careers', which could help the Government better tackle the gender pay gap. Currently, new fathers can take two weeks' paid leave, at a rate of either £187.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lowest. Maternity leave is paid at 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, and then whichever is lower of that 90% or £187.18 for the next 33 weeks. Ministers hope to increase the take-up of shared parental leave, which allows a couple to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them. They also hope to simplify the system for both parents and employers, with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds warning that there are 'eight different types of parental leave'. Mr Madders told the Commons that 'the current system has grown up gradually over time'. He referred to the Factory and Workshop Act 1891, which banned women from working in factories for four weeks after they had given birth. 'Subsequent entitlements have been added to support specific groups as needs have emerged,' Mr Madders added. 'This has created a framework that does not always work cohesively as a whole. This piecemeal approach to parental leave and pay means that the system has never had an overarching set of objectives for what it should deliver. 'This review presents an opportunity to reset our approach and understanding of parental leave and pay, and what we want the system to achieve.' The minister later said: 'Our first objective is to support the physical and mental health of women during pregnancy and after giving birth to a child. 'Our second objective is to support economic growth by enabling more parents to stay in work and advance in their careers after starting a family. This will particularly focus on improving both women's labour market outcomes and tackling the gender pay gap. 'Our third objective is to ensure that there are sufficient resources and time away from work to support new and expectant parents' wellbeing. This will also include facilitating the best start in life for babies and young children, supporting health and development outcomes. 'Our fourth objective is to support parents to make balanced childcare choices that work for their family situation, including enabling co-parenting and providing flexibility to reflect the realities of modern work and childcare needs.' The review, carried out by the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions, will consider how to 'balance costs and benefits to businesses and the Exchequer, as well as examining how a system can support economic opportunities for businesses and families', Mr Madders said. The review will also look at 'improving our society, for example, in supporting the child poverty strategy and on shifting social and gender norms, including around paternal childcare'. Mr Reynolds has previously told the PA news agency: 'We want this to work for millions of families who tell us at the minute that it is not working, so only about one in three new dads take paternity leave, mainly for financial reasons.' He insisted businesses would be 'absolutely integral' to the review, and would not face extra burdens as a result. He added: 'They tell us the current system is quite confusing, that people don't know what they're entitled to, that businesses don't know what they should be offering.' Shadow business minister Greg Smith described a 'toxic treatment of enterprise' by the Government and argued the British economy will be 'stripped of all signs of life' by the time the review concludes. 'I would like to take this opportunity to make it crystal clear that Conservatives are not opposed to increased parental leave, so long as it is proportionate, affordable and does not increase unemployment,' he said. 'But therein lies the problem, because this Government has left themselves no breathing room. Their political choices have imposed the most significant headwinds on business in a generation.' Mr Smith told MPs: 'It's all well and good that the minister announces this review in the House today, but, let us be in no doubt, when it concludes in a year and a half's time, Britain's economy will have been stripped of all signs of life because of the choices Labour have made.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government launch parental leave review
The government has launched a review into parental leave as the current system has been criticised. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Government will look at the whole system, including maternity leave and paternity leave, to see how it can be improved. .
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
No law change needed to send workers home in extreme heat
The UK does not need additional workplace laws which would allow Britons to be sent home during hot weather, the Business Secretary has said. Jonathan Reynolds told the PA news agency 'behavioural changes' like drinking plenty of water and staying protected in the sun were more important. Extreme heat warnings were extended across much of England on Monday as temperatures were set to climb to 34C in one of the hottest June days on record. The Met Office said temperatures would climb above 30C widely across England including places such as Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol and Cambridge – with highs of 34C in London and south-east England. The sweltering heat means Monday is set to be one of the hottest June days ever, with UK temperatures for the month only surpassing 34C in only three years since 1960. It marks the second heatwave for parts of the UK this month, with scientists warning searing temperatures of 32C earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, while the heatwave that gripped south-east England was 10 times likelier. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, and experts have warned heatwaves are 'silent killers', with the impacts of heat severely underestimated. There is no law nor guidance in the UK for minimum or maximum acceptable workplace temperatures, but employers must follow health and safety law to keep temperatures at a reasonable level. Mr Reynolds suggested a law change was not needed when asked if workers should be sent home in the event temperatures climb too high and there is no mitigation like air conditioning in place. He told the PA news agency: 'It is a hot day today for a northerner like myself. I'm struggling a little bit with it. 'There are existing laws in place, the health and safety acts, around what a safe workplace should be. I don't think we need more legislation in that area.' He added: 'Obviously, some behavioural changes, making sure people are hydrated, obviously are duly protected if they work, particularly outside. 'I think we have got to make sure that we're doing that. We shouldn't need additional laws.'
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ministers launch full review of parental leave as current system ‘not working'
Ministers have launched a review of parental leave and pay as the current system is 'not working' for young families. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Government will investigate the whole system for supporting new parents to take time off work when they have a baby, including maternity leave, paternity leave and shared arrangements. 'We want this to work for millions of families who tell us at the minute that it is not working, so only about one in three new dads take paternity leave, mainly for financial reasons,' Mr Reynolds told the PA news agency. Currently, new fathers can take two weeks' paid leave, at a rate of either £187.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lowest. Maternity leave is paid at 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, and then whichever is lower of that 90% or £187.18 for the next 33 weeks. Ministers hope to increase the take-up of shared parental leave, which allows a couple to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them. They also hope to simplify the system for both parents and employers, with the Business Secretary pointing to 'eight different types of parental leave'. Mr Reynolds insisted businesses would be 'absolutely integral' to the review, and would not face extra burdens as a result. He added: 'They tell us the current system is quite confusing, that people don't know what they're entitled to, that businesses don't know what they should be offering.' As ministers battle to boost sluggish growth, Mr Reynolds insisted bolstering parental leave would help the economy. He told PA: 'Of course, business themselves, the growth argument is this: the more people we can keep in work, because they're able to spend some time with their children in those really important first few months and weeks, if we can do that, that's obviously going to strengthen the economy as well.' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner similarly described support for parents as 'vital for our economy'. She added: 'Through our plan to make work pay, we're already improving the parental leave system with new day one rights. This ambitious review will leave no stone unturned as we deliver for working families.' The review will gather opinions from parents, employers and experts across the UK and end with a series of proposals for reform. Plans to boost support for young parents come after worries about the falling birthrate were expressed by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. She told the Daily Telegraph falling birth rates were not only a concerning trend but one which 'tells a story, heartbreakingly, about the dashed dreams of many families'. Official data from the Office for National Statistics shows fertility rates in England and Wales dropped to 1.44 children per woman in 2023, the lowest level since records began in 1938. Ms Phillipson said people were scared off having children due to the high costs, and wanted 'more young people to have children, if they so choose'.
