Ms Patricia King:

On the constitutional issues and the disproportionate matters and the burden that may arise for employers, my understanding of the Bill before us is that it would provide workers in a company with an opportunity to put forward a claim to have their contracted hours included in a band of hours if, over a period of time often referred to as the look-back, it could be established that that was a pattern of employment. I listened to the employers' contribution to the committee and also to Deputy Cullinane, who instigated this Bill in the first place. From the employers' side I could not understand how they could construe that there would be any burden placed or imposed upon them in this, in that every employee would only be able to seek to have the pattern of hours that they are currently working assured in a banded hours scenario. One could not make the claim without having the pattern of hours and attendance, so it seemed to me - if I am permitted to say it - that there was a deep lack of understanding as to what the Bill was about and how it would work in practical terms. There were many comments on burdens on employers, but they bore no relationship at all to what was in the Bill. If I work in a particular company, this Bill promotes a six months look-back-----