Usdaw welcomes the Government’s commitment to reform the rules on holiday pay enforcement

Joanne Thomas - Usdaw general secretary says: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to reform the rules on holiday pay enforcement to boost compliance, with a view to creating a system that is fair for all workers, especially low-paid and vulnerable workers. Usdaw further welcomes the approach of state enforcement on holiday pay using the newly constituted ‘Fair Work Agency’.

“We accept that the system of calculating holiday pay is complex and that both employers and their workers sometimes have difficulty in understanding holiday entitlements and pay. Any move that supports employers to interpret the rules correctly is welcomed by Usdaw, particularly if it supports our members to better understand their rights and ensure they receive the correct levels of holiday pay.

“We also agree that robust state enforcement is a vital piece of this puzzle that has previously been absent and we hope that the proposed changes will act as a deterrent to employers who would choose to ignore the rules and deny their workers the holiday pay they are entitled to by law. We look forward to the new enforcement rules coming into practice as we feel they will offer better protection for our members than what is already in place.

“Together with other reforms in the Employment Rights Act and the proposed new code of practice on holiday compliance, these changes could make a significant impact on the outcomes for workers who are already in low-paid, precarious work. It is vital that we get this reform right, and do not miss this opportunity to protect vulnerable and low-paid workers.”