Labour’s list is substantial and ambitious. It would represent a considerable shake-up of the current employment landscape:
- Unfair dismissal rights apply from Day 1 of employment (apparently with a more limited version during the probationary period)
- The right to parental leave and sick pay also starts at Day 1
- Introducing a right to switch off and not routinely be contacted or asked to work outside contracted hours
- Redefining the boundaries of the self-employed, employed and ‘workers’
- Rolling back some of the trade union restrictions introduced over the last c. 8 years
- Outlawing zero-hours contracts. Employees would have the right to a contract which reflects the hours they regularly work (using a 12 week reference period)
- Reforming the ‘fire and re-hire’ rules so that it is only available where it is a matter of business survival
- Extending flexible working still further, so that it is a ‘default’ right. Employers would have to prove a very good reason to refuse it
- Extending the time limit to make a claim in the Employment Tribunal from 3 to 6 months
- Extending the right to unpaid bereavement leave so that it is not just available following the death of a child
- Changing the criteria for determining the National Minimum Wage (including factoring in costs of living and removing age bands to create a single ‘adult’ band)
- Creation of a Fair Pay Agreement for the Adult Social Care sector – allowing for collective bargaining
- Businesses of 250+ employees will need to create menopause action plans
- Ethnicity and Disability Reporting will be introduced for large employers
- GPG reporting will develop into GPG action plans in an attempt to reduce the stubborn UK gender pay gap
Importantly, Labour say they will introduce enhanced enforcement of employment law by making it more effective and ensuring their proposals have teeth.
