'Workers deserve fair treatment, but so do the businesses that employ them' - Your Letters: September 19
PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A picture taken in late February 1984. The entourage behind rock band Genesis gathered for a special lunch at Weston Park hosted by the Countess of Bradford, to say thank-you after a concert at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre raised £100,000 for charity.
BUSINESSES IN NEED OF FAIR DEAL
I’m writing as the owner of a small but fast-growing fire engineering and consultancy company to share my concerns about the proposed Employment Rights Bill and the damage it could do to businesses like mine.
After 21 years as an employee, I worked hard to build something of my own. Today, I employ over 40 people. That journey has opened my eyes to the complexity of employment legislation. I make it a priority to treat my team with care and respect, but this bill feels like a step too far.
The government’s consultation was shockingly limited. Just 165 responses, and only 32 from businesses. That’s not serious engagement and in our work - we carry out resident engagement surveys for high-rise buildings under the Building Safety Act. We can get more than 165 responses from a single block of flats. So why is something this important being pushed through with so little input from the people who will actually have to implement it?
The financial impact of day one rights and changes to statutory sick pay will be real and immediate. Add that to the recent rise in National Insurance contributions, and it’s hard not to feel like small businesses are being squeezed from every angle. We’re already competing with overseas outsourcing, and this could be the final straw. When businesses fold the jobs go with them.
