The easiest way for any government of any colour to “coax Private business to dish out decent contracts” is to make the following changes to tax offsetting for both Empoyeers and the firms offering the contracts…
Instead of the current system where the amount spent employing someone - gets offset against corporation tax…
…and Income for an employee - gets offset (only when Self-Employed alas) for Income tax…
How about inverting the entire system, so that the FIRST minimum wage of pay received or paid - is EXEMPT from tax offsetting, meaning that EVERY employee and Firm “pays for the first minimum wage of earnings” say…
THEN you can offset ALL monies paid or received that are deemed to be “over and above minimum wage”…
Eg. If your hourly rate is say, £12.00ph, and minimum wage is by this point, say £9.00ph - you pay 20% taxes on the £9.00 and no taxes on the £3.00 beyond that…
The Employer gets to offset the £3 against corporation tax, and cannot offset any part of the first £9.00ph…
THUS employers are encouraged to pay a rate “as much above minimum wage as possible”, whilst Staff are encouraged to work as many hours beyond the minimum as possible…
A world is thus created where Employers have got “keen staff” rolling it in, with them as employers - being encouraged to get each staff member to “perform more tasks” making them far more valuable as “flexible staff” to EARN that higher rate.
The proliferation of minimum waged work, needing state top-ups - will be CRUSHED by such measures over time.
The main casualties of such measures will be the following staff, known here by their nicknames…
“Sick Note”
“Mr and Ms 25 mins to use the toilet”
“Never on a Sunday”
“Overtime? - Not me! - I want to keep my benefits!”
“Managers taking 250mins for their liquid lunches”
…
and of course "Can’t get me 'cos I’m in the Union!"
SALARIED employment - would also fall into dis-use over time, getting rid of the “clockwatchers” - those merely turning up and being minimalist to get their regular pay…
The main beneficiaries are those who are not afraid to put in as many hours as is needed to “get the job done”. You’re now being paid for it after all.
Employers can be a lot fussier over whom they employ…
Not prepared to sweep out the back of your truck/work nights out in emergencies/park sensibly so the firm doesn’t get ticketed?
Any “Culture of Laziness” - would surely come to an end?
ZHC hourly rates but on a 35-40 hour contract with “Open Docket” - overtime ALWAYS available to ALL workers, paid automatically upon being given “extra work taking one beyond one’s normal finishing time”…
ENOUGH of firm or staff behaviour being “about the minorities that work there”.
FFS what about the main BULK of us already there?
All-in-all - we’d end up with a more liberal, laid-back workplace.
NO more being sacked for “taking too long about the actual job” rather than “too long to start DOING the job, because you’re hanging about playing pool in the rest room/out taking your 7th smoke break this morning/drinking that 4th cup of tea since breakfast” - whilst not actually on break at that!!
Sackings aplenty for staff who take the ■■■■ by routinely breaking the law about their work, e.g. “Serious H&S corner-cutting…”
Less “Compliance”, “Backbiting”, “Scrutinty-led De-Briefs”, and of course less spanish inquisition every time you get the job done in a legal but unconventional way…