Key facts
- Labour's proposed reforms to zero-hour contracts could cost UK businesses up to £2.9 billion annually.
- Net costs from zero-hour contract reforms are estimated between £300 million and £1.4 billion.
- Industry bodies have criticized Labour's zero-hour contract reforms as 'chaotic' and 'eyewatering'.
- Plans to grant unmarried couples legal rights after three years of cohabitation are facing criticism.
- Justice Secretary Alex Norris proposed the cohabitation reforms.
- The cohabitation reforms would allow courts to divide assets similarly to divorce proceedings.
- Legal figures warn of 'horrendous' court costs from cohabitation reforms.
- Concerns exist about a lack of public mandate for cohabitation reforms.
The UK faces potential significant financial and legal repercussions from proposed reforms to both employment and cohabitation laws. Labour's proposed changes to zero-hour contracts could impose substantial annual costs on businesses, estimated to be as high as £2.9 billion. Net costs are projected to fall between £300 million and £1.4 billion. These figures have led industry bodies to label the plans as 'chaotic' and 'eyewatering,' indicating strong opposition from the business sector.
In parallel, reforms aimed at granting legal rights to unmarried couples are also encountering strong criticism. Justice Secretary Alex Norris has proposed that couples cohabiting for three years would gain legal rights, allowing courts to divide assets in a manner similar to divorce proceedings. However, legal figures are raising alarms about the potential for 'horrendous' court costs associated with these reforms. Concerns have also been voiced regarding a perceived lack of public mandate for such significant legal changes, questioning the necessity and public support for altering cohabitation laws.