Shift workers should be considered for exemptions from new rights allowing staff to “switch off” from the office, the hospitality industry has said.
Labour’s workplace reforms led by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, which also include automatic rights to flexible hours from day one, are expected to be introduced after consultation with employers and unions.
But business leaders have suggested that the “right to switch off” – where workers could ignore WhatsApp messages and emails from line managers in evenings, at weekends and on holiday – to be applied more flexibly in sectors such as retail and hospitality.
These sectors typically use fluctuating shift patterns depending on demand and staff are often asked if they want to do extra shifts at short notice.
Representatives from UKHospitality, the trade body for the country’s restaurant, hotel and pub sectors, have been in talks with the new Labour government about how the new guidance will be applied.
The Department for Business and Trade, which is implementing the reforms, declined to comment on whether there would be exemptions to the right to switch off.
As i revealed on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer’s government is to push ahead with the right to switch off and other flexible working reforms, arguing that they will boost staff productivity and in turn economic growth.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The lifeblood of hospitality is its people and businesses are passionate about ensuring their employees have a good work-life balance, and time to switch off.
“However, hospitality can be unpredictable in its trading patterns. That might be last minute bookings or a sudden weekend of good weather requiring resource to change to ensure no team is left understrength. Thankfully, staff recognise that and often welcome the opportunity to earn more, if they are available.
“I’m pleased the Government has been working with UKHospitality on its plans for employment rights, where we have been making clear these nuances unique to our sector.”
Downing Street acknowledged that there would be occasions when people who worked in different sectors would need to be contacted.
The Government is also planning to urge employers to support the reforms because it would improve well-being and productivity of staff.
Asked about i’s report that the government was going ahead with the right to switch off, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “As we said more broadly on the King’s Speech, it is not the limit of our ambitions or the Government’s work, these are the first legislative steps.
“But more broadly, the Government is committed to making work pay and ensuring that working people are protected from exploitative practices, and also are supported to ensure that employers are assisting them to be as productive as possible.
“We know, and indeed good employers understand, that for workers to stay motivated they need to be able to switch off – that is good for productivity.
“But, of course, situations may vary and people work in different fields, and there are circumstances where people do need to be contacted out of hours. So that is why there is wider work looking at this issue and at different models that we have seen in different countries, and looking at this issue more broadly – and then we would update on anything or any further steps in due course.
“We are also very aware that these matters are for individual employers, and different people’s circumstances and businesses’ circumstances will vary.”