BARNSLEY South MP Stephanie Peacock has backed landmark changed to employment rights that will come into force as soon as April.

The government announced that measures contained within the Employment Rights Act will begin to be implemented having gained Royal Assent just before Christmas.

Thousands of workers across Barnsley will benefit from stronger protections at work, with those in the most insecure work set to gain the most.

These protections include day one rights for paternity and unpaid parental leave, as well as extended rights for bereavement leave.

The government is also bringing in changes to ensure up to 1.3 million additional employees across Britain in lower-paid or part-time roles can access statutory sick pay from the first day of their illness.

It also ends zero hours contracts by introducing rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts and compensation for short notice cancellations, as well as the unscrupulous practice of ‘fire and rehire’ and ‘fire and replace’ by considering dismissals for failing to agree to a chance in contractual terms as automatically unfair.

Stephanie said: “For far too long workers’ rights have been left without the basic rights they deserve.

“The Labour government has worked tireless to put an end to that.

“Parental leave in Britain has fallen behind our European neighbours and well short of what is expected in modern life.

“These changes are one of many that the government is taking to support working families across Barnsley and will mean that every new parent can properly take time off when they have a child.

“I’ll always support changes to the law like these which will create more secure jobs and raise living standards across Barnsley.”