Northern Ireland set to abolish any link between getting paid and doing work

Northern Ireland is set to pioneer the plan to ensure that all employees get their salary, regardless of whether they turn up. The proposals, in which employees who chose not to attend could not be fired but would instead be encouraged to talk about their absence, first surfaced a decade ago but proved controversial.

A report compiled by a number of groups under the Human Rights Labour Relations Coalition (HRLRC), a UK-wide umbrella group, came up with the idea 10 years past, but it never progressed amid the then recession. Now ministers accept that home-working since Covid lockdowns has shown that the bulk of workers can be trusted to get on with the job wherever they, and the next step is drop any requirement that they in fact do any work.

The HRLRC coalition dismisses fears that such an unprecedented reform of labour laws might be open to abuse. It says that most employees want to contribute to the workplace. Govt ministers in London feel that NI has a particularly industrious workforce and, in the absence of Stormont, is the obvious place to test the new system.

Ian Holme, of HRLRC, said: "Homeworking has shown that leaving people alone leads to a better motivated team. Work is more efficient. People can work in their pyjamas or even from bed, so long as they have a good internet connection. Now we need to move to the next stage and recognise that some people can’t afford an internet connection at home, and others just find work overwhelming."

Mr Holme added: “I have been saying for 10 years that if people wanted to avoid work they were always able to do so even in the workplace. They can do so even more now at home, so we need to be understanding of those who find it challenging to get up in the morning.”

Trade Unions and pressure groups say they are pleased that even a Tory government is embracing such modern thinking. Jane Duvet, of Support The Wage Earner, said: "Ministers were very impressed by our presentation in Whitehall, in which we explained how there is a fine line between insisting that someone turns up for work and harassing them."

Not everyone is impressed. One employer said: “When I heard of this mad scheme, I thought: what’s the date?”