Employment rights bill: Full list of New Deal amendments by MPs

Amendments are being tabled by MPs to the government’s flagship Employment Rights Bill, following weeks of consultation with business groups and trade unions over the Make Work Pay plans.

MPs will soon vote on the legislation, which aims to put more money in people’s pockets and improve working people’s day-to-day lives and security. Long championed by unions, the package previously known as the New Deal for Working People remains wide-ranging and radical, despite a series of proposals being watered down in recent years.

While some amendments have been tabled by the government, others have been put forward by backbench Labour MPs and opposition members calling on the bill to go further in certain areas.

Ministers suggest reforms are pro-business and pro-worker, but they have promoted a backlash from some business chiefs.

Here is a list of all the amendments tabled so far:

NC1 ‘Domestic abuse victims’ leave’

Sponsor: Apsana Begum

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to provide for statutory leave for victims of domestic abuse, with regulations providing for a minimum of ten days’ leave.

NC2 ‘Domestic abuse: right not to suffer detriment’

Sponsor: Apsana Begum

This new clause would amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 to protect workers from adverse treatment on the grounds that they are, or are suspected to be, a person affected by domestic abuse.

NC3 ‘Dismissal for reasons related to domestic abuse’

Sponsor: Apsana Begum

This new clause would amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 to protect workers from dismissal on the grounds that they are, or are suspected to be, a victim or a person affected by domestic abuse.

NC4 ‘Employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent domestic abuse – sponsor: Apsana Begum

Sponsor: Apsana Begum

This new clause would require employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent their workers from experiencing domestic abuse.

NC5 ‘Employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent domestic abuse (contract workers)

Sponsor: Apsana Begum

This new clause would require employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent contract workers from experiencing domestic abuse.

NC6 ‘Workplace contravention of Equality Act: obtaining information’

Sponsor: Richard Burgon

This new clause would reintroduce, for workers in relation to employers, the right to statutory Discrimination Questionnaires pursuant to the Equality Act 2010 regarding age, disability, sex, race, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnership discrimination.

NC7 ‘Protected paternity or parental partner leave’

Sponsor: Stella Creasy

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to consult on a period of protected paternity or parental partner leave, and require them to introduce protected paternity or parental partner leave by regulations at a subsequent date.

NC8 ‘Prison officers: inducements to withhold services’

Sponsor: John McDonnell

This new clause would repeal provisions in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 that prohibit inducing a prison officer to take (or continue to take) any industrial action.

NC9 ‘Inducement of prison officers: exempted persons’

Sponsor: John McDonnell

This new clause would repeal, with respect to trade unions representing prison officers, provisions that prohibit the inducement of industrial action or indiscipline by a prison officer.

NC10 ‘Carer’s leave: remuneration’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause would make Carer’s Leave a paid entitlement.

NC11 ‘Caring as a protected characteristic’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause would make caring a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

NC12 ‘Rates of statutory pay etc’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause sets out rates of Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

NC13 ‘Publication of information about parental leave polices: regulations’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause would require companies with more than 250 employees to publish information about their parental leave and pay policies.

NC14 ‘Entitlement to paternity leave’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause sets out an entitlement to paternity leave.

NC15 ‘Whistleblowers: protected disclosures’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause would slightly extend the circumstances in which an employee is considered as unfairly dismissed after making a protected disclosure.

NC16 ‘Adoption pay: self-employed persons’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause extends statutory adoption pay to the self-employed and contractors.

NC17 ‘Meaning of ‘kinship care’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause is subsequent to the new clause about kinship care leave.

NC18 ‘Kinship care leave’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause sets out an entitlement to kinship care leave.

NC19 ‘Right to be accompanied’

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This new clause would expand the right to be accompanied by a certified companion at disciplinary and grievance hearings.

NC20 ‘Duty to prevent violence and harassment in the workplace’

Sponsor: Liz Saville Roberts

This new clause will amend the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to place a duty on employers to protect all those working in their workplace from gender-based violence and harassment.

NC21 ‘Expanded duties of the Health and Safety Executive’

Sponsor: Liz Saville Roberts

This new clause will create a duty on the Health and Safety Executive to develop a health and safety framework on violence and harassment and to issue guidance for employers about the protection of those facing violence and harassment on the basis of gender in the workplace.

NC22 ‘Duty of employer to prepare domestic abuse policy’

Sponsor: Jess Asato

This new clause would create a duty on employers with 5 or more employees to have a policy outlining the support they provide to workers who are victims of domestic abuse.

NC23 ‘Prescribed rate of statutory maternity pay’

Sponsor: Claire Hanna

This new clause would increase the current rate of statutory maternity pay, bringing it in line with the “real Living Wage”.

NC25 ‘Working Time Council’

Sponsor: Peter Dowd

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to establish a Working Time Council to provide advice and recommendations on the transition from a five-day working week to a four-day working week.

NC27 ‘Flexible working duties: reports on compliance’

Sponsor: Daisy Cooper

This new clause would require the Government to report on employers’ compliance with the flexible working duties set out in this Bill.

NC28 ‘Enforcement against companies subject to insolvency or voluntary liquidation’

Sponsor: Rebecca Long Bailey

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to include, in the Labour Market Enforcement Strategy and annual reports under this Bill, information about non-compliance with employment tribunal awards by, and enforcement against, companies ordered to pay such awards that have been subject to insolvency or voluntary liquidation, including in instances in which the directors go on to set up a similar company to avoid enforcement.

NC29 ‘Trade union representatives: right not to suffer career detriment’

Sponsor: Rebecca Long Bailey

This new clause would enhance protections to trade union representatives, extending them to cover detriment in matters of career progression, and would require employers to demonstrate that they have not denied promotion to trade union representatives as a result of their trade union activities. It would also require employers to have a policy in place to support the career progression of employees who are trade union representatives.

Amendment 1

Sponsor: Sarah Owen

This amendment requires that any regulations made under section 80EA of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (as amended by the Bill) must include conditions framed by reference to those bereaved by pregnancy loss.

Amendment 2

Sponsor: Sarah Owen

This amendment amends section 80EA(5) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 to ensure that the two week leave period is made available to those bereaved as a result of pregnancy loss.

Amendment 3

Sponsor: Sarah Owen

This amendment amends the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 to ensure that the entitlement to statutory pregnancy loss pay extends to those bereaved by pregnancy loss.

Amendment 4

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This amendment would include a reference to supporting employees providing long-term care as a matter related to gender equality.

Amendment 5

Sponsor: Steve Darling

This amendment will ensure that the initial period of employment is between 3 and 9 months.

Amendment 6

Sponsor: Peter Dowd

This amendment is consequential on NC25.

Amendment 7

Sponsor: Imran Hussain

This amendment by former New Deal minister Imran Hussain aims to bring the rate of statutory sick pay into line with the living wage. It is backed by the Safe Sick Pay Coalition, which includes MIND, Equity, PCS and Oxfam.

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