Dawn of a New Employment Era?
Head of Employment Law, Kate Lea, explains...
We woke this morning to the news that the Labour party has won the general election with a landslide victory.
Only time will tell if Labour delivers their manifesto pledges. Their proposals were bold and ambitious with a raft of changes promised to be implemented within 100 days of Labour coming into power.
By way of a reminder the main points to note being:
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Labour proposes to implement changes to employment status. A move away from the current 3-tier structure of employee, worker and self-employed to a two-tier structure which sees the introduction of a hybrid employee/worker status bringing with it additional rights currently not available to workers.
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An expansion of ‘Day One’
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A proposed extension to the limitation period for presentation of employment tribunal claims which currently act as a bar to many employees and workers when seeking to enforce their statutory rights.
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A right to disconnect (from digital connections with work) – or at least a right to consult with employers about this with a view to bringing us in line with other European countries and helping workers achieve a better work/life balance.
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A ban on zero-hour contracts – or at least limitations on the permitted use of zero-hour
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And, similarly, restrictions imposed of the use of unpopular ‘Fire and Rehire’ practices.
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A removal of statutory compensation caps.
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A general strengthening of trade union rights which previous governments have sought to erode.
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Changes aimed to strengthen current discrimination laws, most notably in terms of mandatory reporting of pay gap and diversity data.
If our new Prime Minster, Sir Kier Starmer, is true to his word then employer lawyers need to brace ourselves as we are in for one hell of a ride!
Head of Employment at Lawson West Solicitors, Kate Lea, adds:
“By their nature, employment law changes take time to consult on and implement. 100 days does not give Labour long to set in motion transformational change, however, many of the restrictions, limitations and bans could be actioned swiftly, so it is highly likely that Labour will implement some changes to employment law soon. Employers need to be prepared and review their policies and work practices in readiness.”
If your business is affected by employment law changes and you’d like to speak to someone about them, please Contact Us
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