DTI DISCOVERS NOT ALL THOSE IN EMPLOYMENT ARE EMPLOYEES

DTI research has revealed that most employment rights regulations are restricted to 'employees' - people working in a traditional relationship to an employer.

As a result, significant numbers of workers are not actually covered by statutory protections. "The changing nature of work has meant that more and more people are falling outside the coverage of legislation," said Minister of State Ian McCartney.

Existing law doesn't easily cope with flexible approaches to work, such as fixed-term or task employment, zero hours contracts and freelancing. "Status should not determine people's rights at work," McCartney added, "whether they are full-time, part-time, temporary or agency workers."

Recent legislation, including minimum wage and working time regulations, has avoided this trap by using the term 'worker' rather than 'employee'. The Government now plans to remedy the problem by introducing powers under the Employment Relations Bill that will extend existing rights to all workers - a term that covers about 80% of all those in employment and specifically excludes the self-employed.

Elliott Chase