Member

47B: After Clause 26, insert the following new Clause— “Report on the right to be accompanied (1) The Secretary of State must, within six months of the day on which this Act is passed, lay before both Houses of Parliament a report on the feasibility of expanding the statutory right to be accompanied at disciplinary and grievance hearings. (2) The report must consider in particular— (a) whether the categories of individuals permitted to act as a companion under section 10(3) of the Employment Relations Act 1999 should be expanded; 12 Employment Rights Bill (b) the potential benefits and risks of such expansion for employers and workers; (c) any safeguards that may be necessary in relation to confidentiality, independence, or professional standards of proposed companions; (d) the impact on access to fair representation, particularly for workers not represented by a trade union; and (e) the potential impact of any expansion on individuals with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. (3) In preparing the report, the Secretary of State must consult such persons as they consider appropriate, which may include— (a) representatives of workers and employers; (b) professional bodies; (c) legal and employment rights experts; (d) organisations with experience of supporting workers in grievance and disciplinary processes; (e) organisations representing individuals with protected characteristics.”