Vulnerable worker enforcement forum
Since 1997, a fair framework of basic workplace rights has been put in place, including rights to a minimum wage and paid leave, and the right not to have to work more than 48 hours a week on average. The key challenge now is to ensure that all workers – particularly vulnerable workers – benefit from these rights.
The employment strategy paper, Success at Work, published in March 2006 committed Government to protecting vulnerable workers and tackling non-compliant employers.
As part of this work, a Vulnerable Worker Enforcement Forum was established in June 2007. Chaired by the Employment Relations Minister, Pat McFadden, it brought together front line unions, workplace enforcement agencies, business groups and advice bodies to look at evidence about the nature and extent of abuse of workplace rights. It also considered whether abuses are being tackled effectively through existing enforcement and support mechanisms and whether improvements or new approaches were needed to raise compliance without increasing burdens for good employers.
The employment strategy paper, Success at Work, published in March 2006 committed Government to protecting vulnerable workers and tackling non-compliant employers.
As part of this work, a Vulnerable Worker Enforcement Forum was established in June 2007. Chaired by the Employment Relations Minister, Pat McFadden, it brought together front line unions, workplace enforcement agencies, business groups and advice bodies to look at evidence about the nature and extent of abuse of workplace rights. It also considered whether abuses are being tackled effectively through existing enforcement and support mechanisms and whether improvements or new approaches were needed to raise compliance without increasing burdens for good employers.
Final Report & Government Conclusions
The Forum’s final report was published on 5th August 2008.
The key elements of the government’s response to the findings are:
- The creation of a single helpline number to transfer the burden of navigating the enforcement system away from vulnerable workers.
- A sustained, three year, government-led campaign to raise vulnerable worker awareness of basic employment rights and encourage the reporting of workplace abuses.
- The creation of a Fair Employment Enforcement Board to drive forward improvements in the enforcement system.
- Taking action – as soon as legislative time permits - to tackle the legal information-sharing barriers that, for some of the enforcement bodies, prevent inspectors passing information to each other to enable better targeting of the worst employers.
- Significantly more face to face contact with advice bodies, community groups and local authorities to raise awareness of the national minimum wage, employment agency standards and other basic rights, and build local contacts for intelligence about non-compliant employers.
A full copy of the report can be found on the link below :
(384KB)