Rethink urged on zero-hours contract reforms
Summary
The article reports that the Recruitment and Employment Confederation has urged the government to reconsider proposed reforms to zero-hours contracts, arguing that construction work requires flexibility to reflect project-based labour demand. The consultation on changes to one-sided flexibility closes on 25 August, while government estimates suggest the reforms could cost employers up to £2.9bn a year.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors may encounter the effects of these reforms through contractor availability, project scheduling and labour costs on construction and refurbishment work. Any change to staffing flexibility in the construction supply chain could influence delivery times and pricing on housing-related projects.
Key points
- Government plans would give qualifying workers guaranteed hours, reasonable notice and compensation for short-notice changes.
- REC says construction needs a 52-week reference period to reflect project mobilisation, peak delivery and demobilisation.
- Government estimates put the annual employer cost of the reforms at up to £2.9bn.
- Construction vacancies and temporary job adverts have recently risen, indicating continued labour-market pressure.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
