Our newly elected government isn’t letting the grass grow under its feet when it comes to employment law, as early as this week, they’re set to announce a host of changes, albeit not as many as they had initially pledged within the first 100 days of government. There could be a lot to unwrap, so it’s important for business owners to stay up to speed and understand how these changes may affect their businesses.
Rochelle Murinas, DJH HR Director and Managing Director of Innov8 Human Resources, is here with an update to help you navigate and safeguard your compliance with any employment law changes that could be announced.
The Employment Law Shake-up
The King’s Speech touched upon the Employment Rights Bill, which could be set to make its grand entrance in Parliament this week, with Labour pledging to roll the bill out within their first 100 days in government.
Pitched by Labour as “once-in-a-generation” changes, The Bill aims to upgrade worker rights from day one, as they look to grant greater protections to working people.
Now, let’s break down some of the key changes that could be announced:
- Day one rights
Labour is planning to grant unfair dismissal protection from day one of employment. They’re also including maternity pay and leave, sick pay, and flexible working rights from the off too. - “Fire and Rehire” gets the boot
The practice where employers could dismiss employees and then rehire them on less favourable terms, will no longer be allowed with Labour labelling the current code “inadequate”. This will be subject to further consultation. - Zero-Hour Contracts: on their way out if exploitative
These contracts have been controversial in the past, and now Labour is looking to phase them out entirely to provide workers with regular pay and consistent schedules. - Enhanced protection for new parents
Pregnant women and new mothers will receive increased protection as Labour plan to extend the redundancy protection period for a full six months after returning from maternity leave. They’re also looking to expand this protection to cover various types of dismissal, though the exact details are yet to be revealed. - The right to switch off
There has been talk of introducing a “Right to Disconnect”, although the specifics are still unclear, and this could be a stretch too far. If this does happen, it could potentially redefine the boundaries between work and personal time.
These potential changes represent what could be a substantial overhaul of employment law. As with any major policy shift, the true impact will only become clear over time. Will this usher in a new era of worker satisfaction, or will there be unforeseen consequences?
One thing is certain – business owners and HR departments across the country will need to stay ahead of these changes as they are coming, but we just don’t know how quickly. Officials have suggested that it could take more than a year to bring some of the key measures into effect, however for businesses, staying ahead of the curve will be crucial.
The DJH and Innov8 Human Resources team are to help you understand how these changes could affect your operations and advise you on the steps you’ll need to take to ensure you’re compliant.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments and will provide an update when we have more info.
If you’d like support and advice on how to prepare for the upcoming change, why not book a complimentary discovery call with our specialist human resources team.
