At the beginning of a consultation over the goals of the new government, the bosses of large employers, including John Lewis, Octopus, BT, McDonald’s, and Sainsbury’s, met with Jonathan Reynolds, the deputy prime minister and business secretary, in Whitehall on Tuesday.
The Labour Party’s manifesto included sweeping changes to employment laws, such as guaranteeing all “zero hours” workers a contract that corresponded to their regular work schedule and giving all workers full employment rights from the start.
companies and business associations are worried that if companies reduce their flexibility, it will raise expenses and make it harder for them to spur growth. This is why they are holding the meeting.
A number of the participating businesses told News that the environment was positive and cordial, with a focus on Ms. Rayner and Mr. Reynolds outlining their plans and paying attention to the worries of the employers.
It is known that company executives are worried about how zero-hours contracts will be phased out. It’s a major problem in the retail and hotel industries, where a lot of younger people work part-time jobs.
Ministers have suggested that contracts representing average hours worked over a 12-week period be made available to all employees, although there are worries that this statistic might lock firms onto it.
