When Labour was last in power, its maxim was said to be: “We don’t do God”.
But Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, has signalled a break with the Blairite era by revealing that his Christian faith is a driving force behind the controversial workers’ rights reform package he is attempting to drive through.
Known affectionately to colleagues as “Rev Reynolds”, he was until recently the chairman of Christians on the Left, the biggest Christian faith affiliate group to the Labour Party, a role he gave up only after the election when he became a Secretary of State.
In his first interview since becoming the Business Secretary, he told The Telegraph that he believes working from home is good for British companies and insists that employees do their best work when they are “happy at home”.
Mr Reynolds is leading the Government’s efforts to push through an overhaul of workers’ rights that was designed when the party was in opposition. Its proposed New Deal for Working People, core to its election offer, has been the subject of years of internal discussion.
Labour now plans to deliver on a promise to submit draft legislation to Parliament to make the changes within 100 days of the election, by mid-October.
But the plans have been criticised by union bosses and business leaders, with even Left-wing think tanks warning that they could have unforeseen consequences for workers.
‘Right to switch off’
Much of the public debate has focused on the “right to switch off”, which says employees should not be required to respond to emails after hours.
“Compressed hours” is also part of the package, meaning working more flexible hours, so that a job fits around other commitments.
Other flagship pledges include a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts and making flexible working the default from “day one”, which was intended to prevent homes from “turning into 24/7 offices” in the wake of the pandemic.
Speaking about his faith, Mr Reynolds, said: “If you are a Christian, it’s something that affects every part of your life, whether that’s work, whether that’s home. I do think that the kind of agenda that we’ve got, which is obviously very pro-business, and seeking these kinds of changes to give people the experience and the benefits of that.”
Describing how there is a “moral side” to his reform package, he said the Government’s plans were necessary “for people to have the kind of opportunities and the prosperity that we want to see – what sometimes people call inclusive growth”.
He added: “For me, it’s just about your work, your wages, your life. I think that has got to be a priority – not just for economic policy, but the kind of country we want to be, for the kind of strong families, strong communities… I don’t think that can be done without addressing some of these long-term economic problems. And I very much feel that business is a force for good when it’s done well.”
After the pandemic, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Cabinet secretary, led the drive to push civil servants back to work in an attempt to end the work-from-home culture in Whitehall. As part of his campaign, he started publishing a regular league table of government departments based on how many staff were present.
Embracing working from home
But in a marked shift from the previous Conservative government’s stance, the Prime Minister has thrown his weight behind working from home, with Downing Street warning that a “culture of presenteeism” is bad for productivity.
Mr Reynolds described how he believes that embracing working from home will give a boost to British businesses, arguing that it allows them to access the best talent across the country. He said that in his own government department, he champions working from home, citing inequality in the housing market.
“For this department, which employs nearly 8,000 people, I want it to be a department where people can, as much as possible, live in any part of the UK and work for it,” he said. “It’s a UK-wide department with an international remit, but also one that is UK-wide. I think it’s incredibly important.
“Sometimes, I’ve got people in the room, sometimes I’ve got people at home. Sometimes I’ve got people in many of the different offices that we have – I often have people who are in completely different time zones. I think being open to that kind of talent makes the organisation I lead far more effective. I think a lot of business leaders recognise that.
“Look at the UK compared to other European countries – we do have a very pronounced regional inequality housing market that’s very different in different parts of the UK. So where businesses can be open to UK-wide talent and have the opportunity to access that talent, I think that’s got to be a good thing.”
He acknowledged that there are “legitimate business reasons” why people may need to be in the office, and that in some jobs it is not possible to work at home.
There has been growing concern in the City over Labour’s agenda, with business leaders warning they could end up “drowning” in red tape or being penalised for emailing workers outside of office hours.
But dismissing criticism of his workers’ rights package, Mr Reynolds insisted the “right to switch off” would not harm UK competitiveness.
“You do your best work when you’re happy at home and when you’re happy at work, you’re happy at home,” he said. “It is a much better labour market in terms of how you can balance the complexities of life today.
“I want people to be in a position, as lots of people are but I think too many people are not, where they can have the kind of work and prosperity and opportunities that can be part of modern life in terms of family and caring responsibilities,” he said.
“I think people are happiest at home when they’ve got fulfilling work. And I think that’s the objective. It’s not about a tick box of measures that have been composited together. It’s about how I can work today in the UK and fit in with what people’s lives are like.”