Fairness at Work: A New Era in Employment Rights or a Missed Opportunity?

The paper was one of a number of papers given at the conference - the first event in the 'Welfare and Work' series of conferences organised by the Institute of Industrial Law at Staffordshire University. The event was an opportunity for participants - academics, employers, trades unionists, and others - to debate the reforms initiated by the New Labour government since its election in 1997. This paper was concerned, in particular, with specific aspects of the evolving employment law regime, notably 'fairness' as a pervasive theme in the government's reforms; new policy proposals aimed at reconciling work-life balance, and 'work' and 'home'; and measures directed at making work pay - the National Minimum Wage, tax credits, and other forms of in-work support.