In October 2016, the Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor, a former policy chief to Tony Blair, to look at how employment practices need to change in order to keep pace with modern business needs.
The Review, entitled 'Good Work', has now been published and makes many recommendations. These focus broadly on three challenges. These are
- Tackling exploitation and the potential for exploitation at work;
- Increasing clarity in the law and helping people know and exercise their rights; and
- Over the longer term, aligning the incentives driving the nature of our labour market with our modern industrial strategy and broader national objectives.
The Review supports maintaining the flexible and adaptable approach to labour market regulation that has benefited the UK so far, while focusing more closely on the quality of work as well as the number of people employed.
Whilst some of the recommendations are very specific and could easily be implemented, others are broader, although based on clear principles, and will require further consultation and consideration before implementation. Some are long term and strategic, indicating policy aims but not prescribing in detail how to achieve them.