Casual staff set for first payslips as government plan comes into force
Nearly 300,000 workers will be handed their first payslips under new plans, the government has said.
Staff on casual and zero-hours contracts will now get a payslip to serve as a safeguard against unscrupulous or mistake-prone employers.
Read more: Millions set for pay rise as tax thresholds and minimum wages increase
The new legislation will also ensure that workers are told how many hours they have put in, allowing them to compare their actual hourly salary to what they are meant to get.
“The UK has a labour market that it can be proud of and we are committed to continue leading the way in workers’ rights,” said business secretary Greg Clark.
“That is why we have introduced a new right for all workers to a payslip ensuring workers are paid fairly.”
The new law also scraps the so-called Swedish derogation, a legal loophole which allows companies to pay agency workers less than staff.
And new agency workers will be handed a page full of key facts before signing up, giving them “clarity” on their pay.
Read more: National living wage to rise almost five per cent next year
“The legislation approved by Parliament is a significant milestone in our concerted effort to deliver the largest upgrade in workers’ rights in over a generation,” Clark said. “This all forms part of the Good Work Plan, which is the cornerstone of our commitment to build a labour market which rewards people for hard work, celebrates good employers and boosts productivity and earning power of workers across the UK.”
It comes as the government launches a new £1m advertising campaign to raise awareness on the national living wage.