Futureproof your business
Download our whitepaper for actionable insights to prepare for the Employment Rights Bill Click here to download your free copyAre you ready for the employment law changes?
What is the Employment Rights Bill?
What impact will it have on your business?
How should you be preparing?
Get the answers to all these questions and more by downloading our FREE whitepaper, which explores the key aspects of the Employment Rights Bill and how they will affect small businesses across the UK.
Futureproofing your business: are you ready for the employment law changes? looks at the main commitments made by the government in the King’s Speech on 17th July. It assesses what the change is, what it means and what it’s impact will be, as well as offering actionable price to help you prepare.
The key changes which will impact on your HR policy include:
- Banning zero-hour contracts
- Introducing additional day one rights
- Changes to statutory sick pay
- Strengthen maternity protection
- Implementing a single enforcement body
- Creating a ‘genuine’ living wage
- Making flexible working default
- Increased trade union powers
Futureproofing your business involves auditing, reviewing and rewriting policies, changing procedures, additional training, smart recruitment and amended contracts. All of this is easier with an expert by your side.
Contact your local office today to see how The HR Dept can help you get prepared.
How can we help?
See how The HR Dept can support you through these changes and allow you to focus on growing your business.
What are the changes?
Read what changes we are expecting, so you can see how they may impact your business.
Take our quiz
Take our short quiz and get a free, actionable PDF report showing how ready your business is.
Stay up to date with the latest news
17th July 2024 - The King's Speech confirms Labour's commitment 'to making work pay'
In the King's Speech, King Charles confirmed that the new government intended to bring in a new deal for working people, which would "ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights".
The Employment Rights Bill, which will be introduced in the first 100 days of Parliament, is likely to layout the largest changes to employment law since 1975.
5th July 2024 - The Labour Party wins the general election
Labour are now in power, following a landslide victory.
We now wait to hear what changes to employment law will be coming about. During the election campaign, they promised changes within 100 days - so keep an eye out here to stay up to date with the latest news.
13th June 2024 - The Labour Party release their Manifesto
The Labour Party has released their manifesto - Change - in which they confirm their intention to enact their 'Plan to make work pay' in full.
11th June 2024 - The Conservative Party release their manifesto
We already know the trajectory of Conservative policy on employment law: a restriction on trade union activity; extension of the right to request flexible working; a ticking upwards of the National Minimum Wage and Living wage in line with Low Pay Commission recommendations; and the introduction of a week’s unpaid Carer’s Leave per year have been some of the recent initiatives. The most radical thing has probably been the post-Brexit shake up of who has a right to work in the UK.
Their manifesto is light on employment law proposals, suggesting more of the same. Some of their key, previously announced polices, could have an impact on SMEs, though. Mandatory National Service and overhauling the fit note process are some of the more eye-catching suggestions.
10th June 2024 - The Liberal Democrats release their Manifesto
The Liberal Democrats could have a role to play in a future Government, for example in the case of a Hung Parliament. They have released their manifesto, with detail on their legislative plans around employment law and workers rights. Some of their key points are outlined below.
- Establish a powerful new Worker Protection Enforcement Authority unifying responsibilities currently spread across three agencies – including enforcing the minimum wage, tackling modern slavery and protecting agency workers.
- Establish an independent review to recommend a genuine living wage across all sectors, with government departments and all other public sector employers taking a leading role in paying it
- Modernise employment rights to make them fit for the age of the ‘gig economy’, including by:
- Establishing a new ‘dependent contractor’ employment status in between employment and self-employment, with entitlements to basic rights such as minimum earnings levels, sick pay and holiday entitlement.
- Reviewing the tax and National Insurance status of employees, dependent contractors and freelancers to ensure fair and comparable treatment.
- Setting a 20% higher minimum wage for people on zero-hour contracts at times of normal demand to compensate them for the uncertainty of fluctuating hours of work.
- Giving a right to request a fixed-hours contract after 12 months for ‘zero hours’ and agency workers, not to be unreasonably refused.
- Reviewing rules concerning pensions so that those in the gig economy don’t lose out, and portability between roles is protected.
- Shifting the burden of proof in employment tribunals regarding employment status from individual to employer.
- Expand parental leave and pay, including making them day-one rights, as set out in chapter 9
- Fix the broken Statutory Sick Pay system by:
- Making it available to the more than one million workers earning less than £123 a week, most of whom are women.
- Aligning the rate with the National Minimum Wage.
- Making payments available from the first day of missing work rather than the fourth.
- Supporting small employers with Statutory Sick Pay costs, consulting with them on the best way to do this.
- Extend the use of name-blind recruitment processes.
5th June 2024 - Politics in the workplace: how should you handle it?
From a drop in productivity to having to go through a disciplinary process, losing a member of staff to suffering reputational damage through a provocative social media post, there is the potential for many knock-on effects of a political argument at work. So how can you get ahead of the problem?
24th May 2024 - Labour announce 'Plan to Make Work Pay'
The polls suggest a win for Labour (although the polls have been wrong before!).
They have now released their Green Paper, outlining their plans for employment rights in more detail. The paper, called Plan to Make Work Pay, can be found here.
Our advice? Be prepared.
22nd May 2024 - Rishi Sunak Calls A General Election
We will keep you up to date with all the latest policy updates and news on employment law here.
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