Mr. Mark Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for requiring employers to allow their employees time off for public duties; and whether he intends to undertake further considerations on the subject.
§ Mr. John FraserClause 53 of the Employment Protection Bill would require employers to allow their employees reasonable time off to serve as justices of the peace, and as members of local authorities, statutory tribunals, regional and area health authorities, managing and governing bodies of educational establishments and water authorities. There would be power to modify the list by order. The amount of time off to be allowed is that which is reasonable in all the circumstances having regard in particular to the time required for the performance of the public duty, the time off allowed to the employee for other purposes, the circumstances of the employer's business and the effect of the employee's absence on the running of that business.
The intention is to confine the right to time off under the Bill to employees serving as justices of the peace, or as members of the principal statutory bodies, which are primarily local in character, which deal with matters affecting the community as a whole and for which 205W specialist knowledge or qualifications are not required. Many employers already allow their employees time off for other public duties and the Bill's provisions will not, of course, interfere with this.
The Government's broad intentions were made clear in the consultative document on the Employment Protection Bill which was published last year. Now that detailed proposals have been published and are before Parliament, my right hon. Friend is prepared to consider any representations which may be made by interested organisations either about the list of bodies and offices to be covered—bearing in mind the considerations referred to above—or about the criteria for determining what is reasonable time off.