A Conservative peer has called for modifications to Labour’s proposed workers’ rights legislation to safeguard individuals from dismissal or disciplinary action due to social media posts. Baron Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, argued that employers should not use messages that are over a year old to penalize employees and should focus on “tangible” harm rather than vague “reputational” damage, reports BritPanorama.
The Employment Rights Bill is currently undergoing discussion in the House of Lords and is expected to be debated when Parliament reconvenes following the party conferences.
Baron Young is preparing a report on potential reforms to free speech laws, which is set for publication before the year’s end. This report may influence future party policy.
His proposed changes would make it illegal for companies to discipline or terminate employees based on social media comments unless those comments are less than one year old. Furthermore, he emphasized that employers would need to demonstrate that any alleged comments caused actual harm to the company, thereby establishing a clearer standard for accountability.
Lord Young of Acton, appointed as a peer by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in December, has a background in founding a network of free schools and is a seasoned newspaper columnist.
