Implications for HR and employment following UK election

With the election of a new Government – we consider the potential implications for HR and employment practices.

The Labour Party has pledged to implement a programme of employment law reforms outlined in its ‘New Deal for Working People’.

Amongst the changes that Labour has committed to introduce are:

• Introduction of protection from unfair dismissal as a day one right – rather than the current 2-year threshold
• Removing the current age bands for the minimum wage and pledging to introduce a living wage reflecting the cost of living
• Additional protection for staff on zero hours contracts
• Ending the practice of dismissal and re-engagement to bring about organisational change
• Removing the current qualifying periods for parental leave and sick pay and offering improved statutory pay
• An emphasis on flexible working practices unless it is not reasonably practicable
• A focus on the protections for equality diversity and inclusion.

These changes will be underpinned by the creation of a new regulatory body to uphold workers’ rights and the extension of the time period to bring an employment tribunal claim from the current three to six months.

In its Election Manifesto, the Party committed to introduce legislation to bring about the first of these changes within the first 100 days in Government.

Whilst a timetable for consultation and implementation on any legislative changes is to be determined, the New Deal signals a move away from the previous Government’s approach to employment practices.

In the education context, the Labour Party has pledged to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers in key subjects. The new Government has also indicated it will review teacher retention and workload, and whether the recommendations of the Teacher Workload Reduction Workforce, which were published earlier this year, will be taken forward.