A Government-commissioned review of insecurity at work has failed to grasp the ‘game-changing’ improvements required to solve abusive employment practices, the TUC has said. 

The Taylor Review said all work in the UK’s economy should be “fair and decent” with its author, Matthew Taylor, saying “fairness demands” that people, particularly those on lower incomes, have routes to progress in work. 

The report, which looked at issues include employment in the ‘gig’ economy, recommends that firms which control and supervise their workers should pay benefits including National Insurance. It also recommends a new category of worker called a ‘dependent contractor’, who should be given extra protection. 

Commenting on the review’s recommendations, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the review was right to also call for equal pay for agency staff and sick leave for low paid workers, but added: “It’s no secret that we wanted this review to be bolder. This is not the game-changer needed to end insecurity at work. A ‘right to request’ guaranteed hours is no right at all for many workers trapped on zero-hours contracts. And workers deserve the minimum wage for every minute they work, not just the time employers choose to pay them for.” Calling for the prime minister to act on the review’s recommendations, she added that additional action was required. “We need a proper crackdown on bad bosses who treat their staff like disposable labour. And an end to employment tribunal fees that price workers out of justice,” she said. 

The review called for a ‘more proactive’ approach to workplace health, noting: “The shape and content of work and individual health and well-being are strongly related.” A new report in Hazards magazine examines evidence on these health effects. ‘Make or break’ concludes: “‘Insecure employment’ covers a lot of sins – fear of losing your ostensibly ‘permanent’ job, inability to find permanent work, scratching a living from multiple jobs or working on short-hours or zero hour contracts, at the whim of someone who claims not to be your employer. They all have one thing in common – they are far more likely to damage your health than secure, permanent work.”