In response to the creation of a new Government body to protect UK workers’ rights, Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, comments:  

"The success of the new Single Enforcement Body to crack down on abuses in the labour market, protect employment rights and support employer compliance will hinge on whether it receives sufficient resources to do its job. Effective enforcement is key to ensuring workers have access to good work and their employment rights, however fixing the current inadequate system won’t be easy.

“The UK currently has one of the worst resourced labour inspectorates in Europe. There’s a need to significantly boost the number of inspectors and increase the number of proactive inspections of workplaces if the new body is to be more effective than existing enforcement mechanisms.

“For the new body to be a true game changer it also needs to have a much stronger focus on supporting employers – particularly small firms – to comply with employment law. 

“It should also help reinforce the individual enforcement of employment rights through the employment tribunal system and should take full responsibility for taking action against employers that fail to pay compensation to workers awarded by the courts.”

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