As part of the Kings Speech delivered on Wednesday 17th July 2924, the Starmer Labour government set out its intention to extend rights with the Employment Rights Bill.
My government is committed to making work pay and will legislate to introduce a new deal for working people to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights.
The bill is to create a new partnership between business, trade unions and working people. The commitment – to be introduced within the first 100 days – claimed to be the biggest upgrade to workers rights in a generation.
The intention is to work in close partnership with trade unions and business to deliver this New Deal.
Zero hours contracts
The plan is to ban exploitative zero-hour contracts. Workers to have the right to a contract that reflects the number of hours regularly worked.
Also to have reasonable notice of changes in shift with proportionate compensation payments for any shifts cancelled or curtailed.
This is to end one-sided flexibility and provide workers a baseline level of security and predictability.
Fire and Rehire
Ending the scourge of ‘Fire and Rehire’ and ‘Fire and Replace’ to provide effective remedies.
Day 1 rights
Making parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal.
Flexible working the default from day-one with employers required to accommodate as far as possible reflecting the modern workplace.
Ensuring that employers can still operate probationary periods for new hires.
Protecting new mothers
Making it unlawful to dismiss a woman who has had a baby for six months after their return to work, but with specific exceptions.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Strengthening SSP by removing the £123 per week Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and making SSP available to all workers.
Also to remove the 3 day waiting period.
Currently 1.5 million workers earn below the £123 qualifying weekly amount. The exclusion and three day waiting has been viewed as disproportionately affecting the lowest paid workers, those who are part time and those in multiple low paid jobs.
Fair Work Agency
Establishing a new Single Enforcement Body to strengthen enforcement of workplace rights.
Trade Unions and negotiating bodies
Also under employment right:
- Establishing a Fair Pay Agreement in the adult social care sector and look at extending to other sectors
- Reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body and establishing national terms and conditions, career progression routes and fair pay rates.
- Removing unnecessary restriction on trade unions ensuring industrial relations are based around good faith negotiations and bargaining
- Simplifying the process of statutory recognition to provide reasonable access to a union with the workplace.
Opinion
The new government have hit the road running in keeping its commitments to extending employment rights within their first 100 days. Payroll and HR professionals will be watching for more details of what, how and when changes apply.
PAYadvice.UK 18/7/2024