“Once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and our productivity is poor. Whereas Indian children aspire to be doctors or businessmen, the British are more interested in football and pop music.”

No this is not a policy from the Ingsoc Party of George Orwell’s 1984 but a quote from the book Britannia Unchained which was co-authored by Lizz Truss (Prime Minister), Kwasi Kwarteng (Chancellor), Priti Patel (Former Home Secretary), Dominic Raab (former Justice Secretary) and Chris Skidmore (Current Conservative Party vice chair and figurative fifth Beetle).

Given the content of this book it is perhaps unsurprising to hear announcements of a cut in reporting obligations for companies with fewer than 500 employees from reporting obligations on issues such as gender pay gap reporting and it is expected this figure will rise to business with fewer than 1000 employees in the coming years. The previous obligations applied to business with 250 or more employees.

It is perhaps a touch ironic that only the third (of 56 in total) female prime minister is reducing measures that stops a glass ceiling in the workplace. However it is estimated that the administrative time cost of all bureaucratic reporting measures accounts for up to 22 working days a year which is approximately 8% of annual working days.

Further down the line the Financial Times has reported a complete scrapping of all employment rights for any employee earning over £50,000, although it is expected to be those earning over £100,000.

Further deregulation is expected with reduction of agency worker rights and working time regulations expected. Changes to previously EU locked directive implantations will be possible once the limitation period expires in 2023. The rumours certainly will make April’s employment law updates particularly interesting – watch this space.