The UK explores extending probation periods to help reintegrate long-term sick workers.
- Deputy PM Angela Rayner leads discussions on flexible probations amid high sickness leave.
- Proposals aim to reduce legal risks for employers rehiring former sick employees.
- Unions express concerns over potential impact on workers’ day-one rights.
- Labour’s commitment to strengthen workers’ rights is part of the ongoing reform efforts.
In an effort to address the issue of 2.8 million workers currently on long-term sickness leave, the UK government is actively considering the implementation of flexible probation periods. This initiative is spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and seeks to incentivise employers to bring back workers who have experienced extended absences due to illness.
The core of the proposal allows for longer probation periods, a model already in use in Ireland, where they can last up to a year in exceptional cases like prolonged sickness. This approach could provide employers with the confidence to re-employ individuals without the fear of immediate legal repercussions if the employment does not succeed.
However, the plan has been met with resistance from unions, which argue that such measures might undermine workers’ day-one rights. The unions are pushing for universal rights from the first day of employment, stating that the length of probationary periods is the upcoming frontier in the workers’ rights discourse.
Rayner and Reynolds have been actively engaging with union representatives and business leaders to Find a balanced strategy that aligns with Labour’s promise to enhance workers’ rights within the first hundred days of government. This includes the ambitious goal of implementing day-one employment rights universally, although full realisation of these reforms may not be expected until 2026.
The proposal is part of a larger pledge by Labour to overhaul the UK’s employment rights framework. Ministers are currently working diligently to finalise these agreements, aware of the complexities involved and the pressing demand from business communities for clarity and protection against potential employment disputes.
The UK government’s proposal for flexible probation periods is a pivotal step in reshaping employment policies to support both businesses and returning long-term sick workers.
