Bad bosses should be red carded by workers, report suggests

Workers should be allowed to give bad bosses a red card which would force Government to respond when workers feel a company is in danger, a new report has said.

A workforce yellow and red card system could act as an early warning and whistle-blowing mechanism. Picture: PA

In its report, A New Bargain: People, Productivity And Prosperity, think tank ResPublica calls for the government to commit to enhancing workers’ roles in companies.

ResPublica is also calling for the Government to create and support schemes that will take employee shared ownership from 0.8% to at least 10% of the UK’s private sector workforce by 2025.

A workforce yellow and red card system could act as an early warning and whistle-blowing mechanism, according to the report, which also suggests there should be a new right of a workforce audit on business performance on pay, training and productivity and a new right for workforces to be consulted on significant change to the business.

In an effort to improve productivity, unions should also be helped to ensure they are part of continuous workplace learning, can provide careers and skills advice plus training, as well as advising on skills deficits and training needs, it is also suggested.

ResPublica director Phillip Blond said he hoped but is “not optimistic” that the Chancellor’s Spring Statement might include new strategies to strengthen the voices of workers and also potential productivity.

Renewing and creating modern forms of collective bargaining to address pay, productivity and the gender pay gap and prioritising dispute resolution are also among the suggestions in the report.