More than seven million workers 'to get new rights from their first day of work' in new Labour plans

By Henry Moore

More than seven million workers will gain new sick pay, ­maternity pay and protection against unfair ­dismissal in sweeping new Labour plans, reports claim.

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Labour is reportedly set to announce “once-in-a-generation” changes to worker's rights next week, as they look to grant greater protections to working people.

As part of the Employment Rights Bill, workers will be given sick pay from the first day they are ill. Currently, employees are not entitled to sick pay until the fourth day of their illness.

Women will be entitled to apply for maternity pay from their first day on the job and will be given greater protections from sacking when they return, the report continues.

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Probation periods, which can stretch for as long as two years, will allegedly be capped at six months, giving workers further protection against unfair dismissals.

Zero-hour contracts are also set to be axed if deemed “exploitative” under new laws.

However, Labour has ceded some ground to business leaders, including abandoning a statutory “right to switch off”, the Times newspaper reports.

“The potential for this to be positive is that by further weeding out ‘unfair’ employment practices, the overall quality of jobs in the economy rises, unfair competition is reduced, and potentially more people rejoin the labour market, helping with the UK’s activity problem,” Anna Leach, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, told the Times.

“But there’s the risk of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut and simply making it more costly to hire, and reducing employment opportunities.”

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, added: “The Employment Rights Bill, if delivered in full, will make work better for millions of working people … Treating staff well boosts productivity and living standards.”