The Telegraph reports today that companies are going to be given greater powers to dismiss under-performing workers without fear of being sued. They are also considering excluding small businesses from some employment law to encourage them to take on workers.
Currently an employee can only claim unfair dismissal after a year of employment, but that could be increased to two years in a review which would also see the length of time employers have to pay statuary sick pay.
This should be good news for eBay sellers who are also employers. One of the biggest decisions an eBay business has to make is when to stop doing everything yourself or relying on family and friends to help out. When should you take on your first full time employee and what happens if it doesn’t work out.
Currently there are few differences between being a large company and being a small business with one or two employees so anything the government can do to reduce employment legislation and mitigate the risks for small businesses has to be welcomed.
On the other side of the coin, reducing protection for employees is always a difficult decision for any government. However if it’s the difference between less job security and having a job in the first place I know which option I would be choosing.
6 Responses
I can see both sides to the story on this as I had trouble with my ex employer who bullied staff to make greater profits and when you stand up to them they sack you, which is why I sell on-line in the first place.
I can also see things from an employers point of view because I can’t really see the point of employing anyone, materity leave means your paying two people to do one job with only one person working for you. Every company has to offer a pension scheme in 2016. And if the EU says anything is employment law then thats it because no UK court will stand up to them. Its more profitable being a sole trader. And when Labour get back into power again they’ll reverse any new employer friendly legislation and start singing the Red Flag. Whats needed is a balance between employer and employee. Unions are only interested in themselves and only fight mass job losses because it means fewer Union fees coming in, they never stand up for individuals as I’ve learnt from bitter experiance.
Tough on jobs, tough on the causes of jobs.
Noone wants either employers or employees to be scumbags and by and large neither is. Over-legislating simply makes it harder for everyone to collectively seize opportunities — which is afterall what creates those jobs in the first place.
@Warren, Do you not claim back the maternity payments then?
I worked for a really bad employer.I am sure he was on drugs.Tried to help him but totally paranoid.The manager and salesman left 1 month after I started.I was the only person who could could sell cars.(This was a car dealership).Maybe I was too keen but wanted to help.
I sold a car then decided to take over the deal owner took it over so I lost out on comission payment.
Lasted a year,worst year of my life.