Small-boat migrants working ILLEGALLY can sue their bosses for harassment under Rayner's new workers' 'rights laws', watchdog says

Angela Rayner's Employment Rights Act took effect on Friday, and with it came fresh EHRC guidance confirming that harassment protections now explicitly cover workers whatever their immigration status. The EHRC's guidance uses the example of an illegal migrant harassed by a colleague to illustrate the rules, concluding that an unlawful employment contract is no barrier to bringing a tribunal claim. Employers must now demonstrate they took "all reasonable steps" to prevent harassment — a tougher threshold than before — or risk being taken to tribunal.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the situation 'farcical', saying Labour should be 'stopping the boats' rather than handing illegal immigrants more rights.

The EHRC guidance explicitly states 'the fact that a contract of employment is illegal will not normally prevent a worker pursuing their harassment claim.'

British firms can also face tribunal claims when their staff are harassed by outside parties such as customers or freelance contractors.