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A Tory Peer asserts that Labour’s key workers’ rights initiative must be modified to safeguard individuals from being dismissed or disciplined due to their online posts.
Lord Young, who established the Free Speech Union, argues that messages older than a year should not be utilized to reprimand employees or to "cancel" them.
Former Deputy PM Angela Rayner has supported the proposals for the workers’ rights bill.
Employers would need to demonstrate that “tangible” harm has occurred rather than merely “reputational” damage, which is too ambiguous.
The bill is currently in the House of Lords and will be discussed when it reconvenes after the party conferences.
The Peer is preparing a report on how laws related to free speech should be revised or discarded.
This dossier is expected to be published before the year concludes, and it could be adopted as party policy thereafter, he noted.
He stated that changes “would render it illegal for companies to discipline, dismiss, or penalize employees for statements made online unless they are, first and foremost, less than a year old.
“Thus, there will be a one-year statute of limitations on what the offence archaeologists can unearth in order to find grounds for canceling you.
“Furthermore, the employer would need to prove that the comment in question has caused tangible harm to the company.
Lord Young of Acton was appointed a peer by the Tory leader in December.
He previously founded the Free Speech Union and has been a columnist for newspapers for over 20 years.
Baron Young believes the proposed legislation should be amended to prevent workers from facing repercussions for outdated online posts or the risk of being ‘canceled.’
What changes are being proposed for the workers' rights bill?
The proposed changes include preventing companies from disciplining or dismissing employees for online posts that are over a year old, unless they can demonstrate that the comments caused tangible harm to the organization.
Who is Lord Young and what is his role?
Lord Young of Acton is a Tory Peer who founded the Free Speech Union and has been a newspaper columnist for over 20 years. He is currently advocating for changes to laws affecting free speech.
