New employment laws might make it tougher for employers to object when TA staff are mobilised is proposals from Defence Secretary Philip Hammond are introduced.

Because of recent spending cuts the Army is to lose 17 major units and be reduced in size from 102,000 to 82,000 personnel.  However, the number of volunteer reservists will be doubled to 30,000 and become part of “an integrated Army”, with greater training and command opportunities.  Hammond confirmed that the enhanced number and role of reservists – many of whom have other full-time jobs – may require “underpinning” legislation.

The current regulations allow an employer to object if a key member of staff, who serves in the Territorial Army, is mobilised, if it would seriously affect the employee’s work. With so much reliance being placed on the TA in future this is clearly not a tenable situation as the Army would have no idea how many reservists would be available if called.

The defence secretary said in a Commons statement in July: “Delivering this step change in the size and role of the reserves will require a change in the relationship between defence, the employer and the reservist.  Many employers already give excellent support to reservists, for which we, and the nation, are grateful,” he continued. “But we need a new framework of partnership, with public and private sector employers, that gives us the confidence that trained reservist manpower will be available when it is really needed.”   Hammond added that he intended to publish a consultation paper in the autumn setting out the reservist proposals.

The consultation would then inform government decisions early next year on “terms and conditions of service, employer engagement, the government’s own commitments as an employer, and on any legislation necessary to underpin and support our vision for the reserves”. 

However, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) expressed concern about the potential pressure an expanded and more called upon pool of reservists could put on the UK’s small employers.  Pierre Williams of the FSB warned that while businesses had long supported their reservist employees, the government should ensure that adequate compensation provisions were in place.

“It shouldn’t be forgotten that small firms are operating in the same tough economic conditions that have compelled ministers to make big cuts to the regular Army,” Williams pointed out.  “Businesses would be in a much better position to cater for the proposed doubling of the Territorial Army if the government had at least said how it would encourage and compensate firms for complying,” he said. “Without this crucial information, it’s just not possible to determine whether the government’s expectations can be met.”