Employees are currently overprotected. Employing people these days is an absolute minefield of employment law and health & safety law. Regardless of taking all reasonable steps to protect itself, a company will still be faced with employment tribunals, bogus injury at work claims etc. If any dispute ends up going to an employment tribunal the company almost always loses.
Working conditions and employee rights in this country are unbelievably good. Just look at maternity leave, paternity leave, sick pay, holiday entitlement, redundancy pay, notice pay, disciplinary procedures etc etc. Should any dispute arise an employee is very well backed up by citizens advice and ACAS.
Should an employer not be operating within the law, you can be damned sure such a situation is easily rectified. On the other hand, should an employee be operating outside the terms of their contract of employment, what comeback does the employer have? None. That's all just part and parcel of being an employer and any costs incurred as a result are to be taken on the chin.
Unions do not protect employees rights (that's easily achieved on an individual basis through the normal channels), their purpose is to over-inflate reward packages whilst reducing the amount of work expected to be done. Almost without fail, any industry that is unionised fails. The US auto-industry being a prime example.
Most people complaining about lack of employee rights have never faced the opposite position of being an employer.
Dave
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