Growth and Infrastructure Bill — Employee Shareholder Status — Exemption from Certain Statutory Employment Rights — 23 Apr 2013 at 13:45

The majority of MPs voted to exempt those with employee shareholder status from certain statutory employment rights.

MPs were considering the Growth and Infrastructure Bill^[1]. The motion passed in this vote was:

• That this House insists on its disagreement to Lords amendment 25 but proposes amendments (a) to (e) to the words restored to the Bill by that disagreement.

Lords amendment 25 sought to leave out Clause 27 which provided for a new employment status of "employee shareholder" and for those with such status to be exempted from certain statutory employment rights.

The employee shareholder scheme is an employee status where an employee is given shares worth at least £2,000 on receipt in return for which the employer is permitted not to extend unfair dismissal rights, rights to statutory redundancy pay and other employment rights to the employee.

The proposed amendments^[2] offered in light of the Lords' objections provided for series of additional safeguards for the operation of the "employee shareholder" status. In this division the majority of MPs were voting to support the new status, but to add the additional safeguards. One such safeguard provided for a written statement of an employee's status and rights under the scheme.

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Growth and Infrastructure Bill (now an Act)
• [2] Amendment paper for consideration on the Lords amendment 25 on 23 April 2014

Debate in Parliament | Source |