How Might Labour’s Proposals Affect You As An Employer?
How Might Labour’s Proposals Affect You As An Employer?
Come 4th July 2024, should Labour come out top in the UK’s General Election we could see big changes from existing employment law. The Party’s manifesto outlines a multitude of changes to employment legislation which they have committed to introducing within 100 days- So things on the employment horizon could change quickly in 2024! We are here to help you understand what could be coming.
Key changes in the manifesto include;
Removal of qualifying periods for employment rights; allowing employees to claim unfair dismissal, access statutory sick pay and take parental leave from day one. This would provide employees with greater job security, but also increase the risks for employers, who must manage dismissal processes more carefully.
Single Worker status; granting all workers the same basic rights, and banning zero-hour contracts for anybody who works regular hours for 12 weeks or more.
“Fire and rehire” practice banned; preventing employers from forcing contractual changes through dismissal and rehire tactics. This would make introducing new terms of employment which are challenged by employees difficult even where vital for the business’ success.
A “right to switch off” policy; seeks to enhance work-life balance by allowing employees to disengage from work outside regular hours, combating burnout.
Extension of the employment tribunal claim period; from three to six months, potentially increasing the volume of claims while reducing immediate litigation pressures.
Some of the above proposed changes are likely to have a significant impact on businesses and could hit hard for some small businesses who have been navigating the challenges of the recent economic downturn over the last 18 months.
These proposed changes put even more emphasis on business to ensure they are trained and equipped to deal with employee issues in the correct way.
