Member

Amendments 105, 107, 109, 110, 111 and 112, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe, would amend Schedule 3 to the Bill. I remind noble Lords that the Government were elected on a manifesto that committed to delivering day-one rights to protect against unfair dismissal. Repealing the qualifying period will improve the security of work for around 9 million employees who have been working for their employer for less than two years. However, the Government recognise the importance that probationary periods play in allowing employers to assess new hires’ performance and suitability for their role. Our changes will not prevent fair dismissal. A statutory probationary period will be introduced, during which there will be light-touch standards for dismissing an employee fairly if they are not suitable for the job. The Government do not believe that all reasons for dismissal should be in scope of the statutory probationary period’s light-touch standards. Business or economic reasons for dismissal, such as redundancy, should be subject to the full and fair process.