ALLIANCE response to consultation on Scotland becoming a Fair Work Nation

The ALLIANCE has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on Fair Work

The ALLIANCE has responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Scotland becoming a Fair Work Nation (this link will take you away form our website).

The ALLIANCE welcomes the commitment in the consultation to ensuring that Scotland is “more inclusive and more equal”, and that “people and communities feel valued, included and empowered.”

We recommend action on the following priority areas in order to deliver fairer work in Scotland:

• Scottish Government, local authorities, and HSCPs should give priority in commissioning to employers who cover employee and workers’ travel costs connected with work, including paid travel time.
• Scottish Government, local authorities, and HSCPs should give priority in commissioning to employers who give care workers access to a range of higher pay grades across different spine points on the NHS Access for Change Bands, as appropriate to their experience and expertise, with clear options for career progression.
• Scottish Government, local authorities, and HSCPs should give priority in commissioning to employers who do not use zero-hour contracts (or equivalent).
• Recognise and offer increased pay to people with specialist skills within social care work – e.g. Deafblind guide communicators, people with advanced paediatric first aid qualifications, and those with other specialised knowledge and training.
• Support workers to make autonomous judgements if people’s care and support requirements (e.g. care at home) need to take longer than originally scheduled.
• Support flexible and part-time working requests.
• Support employees and contractors who request caring leave.
• Implement redundancy protection for unpaid carers who have taken caring leave.
• Implement redundancy protection for new parents (including people who have taken adoption leave).
• Embed human rights PANEL principles throughout the design of the commissioning and procurement processes (both in health and social care and more broadly).
• Ensure that co-production is embedded throughout commissioning and procurement models (during design, implementation, and review) – again, both in health and social care and across other sectors.
• Provide employees and contractors with appropriate training and development opportunities (where people are paid during their attendance at any training etc.).

You can read the full response via the link below.

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