Labours WFH overhaul could harm British firms: French-style workers rights plans will see Brits getting the right to switch off and ignore bosses - but government insists productivity will be boosted

Labour has defended plans to give British workers French-style rights including thee right to switch off and ignore their bosses while at home, claiming the reforms will boost productivity. 

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds will publish an employment rights bill next month which, if passed, will give British workers more protections from day one, ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and make flexible working a default right. 

While businesses up and down the country have raised serious concerns over the proposals, Reynolds insisted they would be a net benefit. 

He told The Times: It does contribute to productivity, it does contribute to [staff] resilience, their ability to stay working for an employer. 

Good employers understand that their workforce, to keep them motivated and resilient, they do need to judge people on outcomes and not a culture of presenteeism.

He claimed that businesses had responded well to the proposals. 

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds (pictured) will publish an employment rights bill next month which, if passed, will give British workers more protections from day one

While businesses up and down the country have raised serious concerns over the proposals, Reynolds insisted they would be a net benefit (File image) 

These are popular changes, both with the public and actually with businesses themselves. 

Every time we have a session with business where we are able to talk candidly, they are reassured by what we are saying and actually they support it.

The shift in policy stands in stark contrast to the Tories approach to work, with Reynolds lambasting the approach taken by his predecessor, Jacob Rees-Mogg, as bizarre.

Jacob Rees-Mogg made this big thing as business secretary [in] declaring war on people working from home. 

Thats pretty bizarre given the economic position the country was in and the real business agenda that needs to be pursued. 

Shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake previously told the Mail the proposals would mean ‘business closures and job losses’.

‘Making flexible working the default and requiring employers to accommodate it is a work from home charter but also, and very significantly, it switches the decision on how and where people work from the employer to the worker,’ he said.

‘More red tape from a classic socialist, big state government, which will stifle economic growth and lead to business closures and job losses.’

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘The UK has had a productivity problem for 30 years made worse by the move to working from home.

‘Employers will not risk creating new jobs if Labour creates an idlers’ charter which will reduce opportunities for all workers.’

Tom Clougherty, director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the ‘stack of new regulations on the labour market will reduce flexibility and increase structural unemployment’.

MailOnline has contacted the Labour Party for comment.