Ministers expected to axe right to switch off in coming week

Ministers are expected to axe plans to give people a right to “switch off” outside work hours, reports have suggested.

The policy was a central part of Sir Keir Starmer’s manifesto promise of a “New Deal for Working People” aimed at strengthening employment rights.

It did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, but there were promises from ministers it would emerge in future.

However, that has now changed, and ministers are expected to say in the coming week that the policy has been dropped, when they table a series of amendments to the Bill, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

A Government source told the newspaper the “right to switch off is dead”.

Ministers are said to be making the change in a bid to boost business confidence, after the Budget placed extra costs on employers in the form of the national insurance contributions hike.

The Government source added: “Growth that puts money in people’s pockets is the number one priority of this Government’s plan for change.

“That means making Britain the best country in the world to do business and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers.”

Published: 02/03/2025 by Radio NewsHub