Today, the King delivered his speech, setting out the legislation programme that the Government intends to pursue in the next few months.
During the speech, King Charles summarised some of the Labour Government’s plans. He stated that Labour is committed to making “work pay”, and the Government will legislate to “ban exploitive practices and enhance employment rights.”
The King’s Speech briefing note has also been produced, summarising the Employment Rights Bill and Labour’s commitment to introduce it within the first hundred days.
The briefing note stated that the Employment Rights Bill will include:
- Banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, ensuring workers have a right to a contract that reflects the hours they regularly work.
- Ending ‘fire and rehire’ and ‘fire and replace’ by reforming the law to provide “effective remedies” and replacing the statutory code.
- Making parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal available from day one of employment for all workers. The briefing note states that Labour will “continue to ensure employers can operate probationary periods to assess new hires.”
- Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay by removing the lower earnings limit and waiting period.
- Flexible working is the default from day one for all workers (as far as is reasonable).
- Making it unlawful to dismiss a woman who has had a baby for six months after her return to work, subject to specific exceptions.
- Creating the Fair Work Agency to strengthen the enforcement of workplace rights.
- Establishing a Fair Pay Agreement in the adult social care sector, subject to review, and examining how similar agreements could benefit other sectors.
- Reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.
- Updating trade union legislation.
- Simplifying the process of statutory recognition and introducing a route for workers and union members to access a union with the workplaces.
This will still require primary legislative implementation.
For more details of what you might expect over the next 12 months, see Liz Stevens’ article: A new government – what’s next on the agenda for employers?
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The content of this article is for general information only. It is not, and should not be taken as, legal advice. If you require any further information in relation to this article please contact the author in the first instance. Law covered as at July 2024.