The charity Young Women’s Trust welcomes Matthew Taylor CBE as the chair of the new Fair Work Agency, a body established as part of the Employment Rights Bill to enforce workers’ rights and simplify and strengthen the current system.
As Matthew Taylor prepares to launch the Fair Work Agency in spring, Young Women’s Trust is calling for a representative of young women to have a seat on its advisory board. This vital step will ensure that young women’s voices and experiences are heard and represented and that the agency is genuinely accessible to them.
Young women are more likely than many other workers to be in low paid, insecure work and to experience unfair treatment and discrimination in the workplace. When they do report illegal treatment they’re often ignored and dismissed. The proposed policies in the Bill have the potential to transform the working lives of many thousands of young women – if they are properly enforced.
Claire Reindorp, Chief Executive of Young Women’s Trust, said: “The current enforcement system is failing young women – yet they’re one of the groups of workers that need it the most. We’re ready to welcome Matthew Taylor to this vital new role and work alongside him to ensure the Fair Work Agency truly works for young women.
“Our evidence shows that young women’s rights are routinely flouted by employers – being paid less than the minimum wage, facing discrimination, and being paid less than male colleagues for the same work is all too common. Young women often lack knowledge of their rights or see nothing happen when they speak up. They sorely need change.
“We urge Matthew Taylor to make sure that the Fair Work Agency listens to young women and designs a system that meets their needs. We look forward to continuing these conversations with him in the coming months so that the Employment Rights Bill is as transformative as it promises to be.”