Calls for Government to reduce ‘burden of regulation’

Employment Law & HR update 27/09/2011

The Government has been urged to boost efforts to ease the "burden of regulation" by manufacturing business group EEF.

The plea follows today’s publication of EEF’s analysis of Government efforts, entitled Reforming Regulation – One Year On.

Whilst the report reveals that the Government has achieved certain positive goals, such as the increasingly in-depth look at new regulation by the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC), and a focus on health and safety, there are still areas for improvement.

EEF said that it would like to see ‘signs of a genuine change in approach in Whitehall,’ and increased efforts to ‘stem the flow of bad regulation from Europe.’

Particular areas highlighted for a renewed focus included parental leave, flexible working and equal pay. Ongoing concerns about the Working Time Directive and the Pregnant Workers Directive were also raised in the report.

Steve Radley, EEF Director of Policy, said, “Government has set out the right ambitions to reduce the burden of regulation and its approach has the potential to deliver it. But industry is now looking to see the new approach deliver real change.

“With major new measures such as the new national pension savings scheme in the pipeline for next year, the Government needs to set out plans for where it can reduce the burden on employers,” added Mr Radley.

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