What could Labour's plan mean for the employment law landscape?

Recently Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ended months of speculation by calling the general election for 4 July 2024. Given the outcome of the recent local and mayoral elections, it looks increasingly likely that change lies ahead, with the Labour Party strongly anticipated to form the next government. Labour’s plans, if implemented, could have a significant impact on the employment law landscape.

Join us for a webinar on Wednesday 12 June to explore what might lie ahead in the field of employment law.

In its 2021 Green Paper, “A New Deal for Working People”, setting out its vision for employment law and labour market regulation, the Labour Party committed to introducing an Employment Rights Bill within the first 100 days of entering office which may contain the following proposals:

1. Extension of unfair dismissal and redundancy rights
2. Lengthening of tribunal limitation period
3. Broadening of statutory sick pay entitlement
4. Changes to employment status
5. Changes to secure more predictable working patterns
6. Extension of flexible working rights
7. Ban on ‘fire and rehire’
8. Greater support for trade unions
9. Introduction of race and disability pay reporting obligations

In the longer term, the Labour Party has previously indicated that changes to a number of additional aspects of employment law could be on the horizon including the introduction of “Fair Pay Agreements”, effectively establishing a process of collective bargaining to determine employee pay and conditions in some sectors, introduction of a right to disconnect, creation of a single enforcement body to enforce workers’ rights.