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Park City Consulting
Employee Relations, HR, HR Updates

What Does a Labour Government Mean for Employment Law and Your Business? 

It’s happened! After the 2024 UK Parliamentary General Election, the Labour Party has achieved a landslide victory and will form the next government. Winning 411 seats – above the 326 needed for an overall majority – Labour’s historic win means big changes to employment law are on the way proposed in their 100-day plan to “Make Work Pay: A New Deal for Working People”.

So what does this mean for your business? The year 2024 brings unprecedented changes in Employment Law, and this period of uncertainty can be daunting for everyone. Park City Consulting is here to support SMEs and businesses as they navigate these changes every step of the way. Labour’s plans to strengthen workers’ rights and protections will require you to understand and adapt to new rules to stay compliant and foster a fair workplace.

Let’s get started! Dive into our breakdown of the upcoming changes, learn what your business needs to do to prepare, and walk away with clear action steps to implement.

Proposed Changes to Employment Law

These changes are listed in The Labour Party’s 100-day plan to implement in the first days of being in government:

Labour wants to scrap the age-related bands on the National Minimum Wage so all workers across the country get at least £10 an hour. They also want to extend Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to all workers.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Sick Pay Management: Our HR experts are on hand to help you implement and manage extended SSP. Have peace of mind that our team is here to help you navigate these changes.

​​Labour will update trade union legislation, so it is fit for a modern economy, removing unnecessary restrictions on trade union activity and ensuring industrial relations are based around good faith negotiation and bargaining. Labour is reinforcing trade union rights, mandating employers to notify employees of their right to join a union in written contracts.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Contract Updates: Update employee contracts with our expert guidance.
  • Union Relations: Receive support in managing relationships with trade unions.

Labour will remove the waiting period for accessing key employment rights, including protection against unfair dismissal, sick pay and parental leave. After being elected, Labour Party members are committed to changing the current system where, under the Conservative government, employees only get protection from unfair dismissal after 2 years of service. Labour will give this protection from day one.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Prevent Unfair Dismissal Allegations: We offer 24/7 employment advice and HR support to ensure your disciplinary procedures are fair and correct.
  • HR Audits and Training: Our experts will audit your current procedures and train you on the new rules.

Labour will eliminate ‘one-sided’ flexibility in employment, ensuring all jobs offer a baseline level of security and predictability. They will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and guarantee everyone the right to a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work, based on a 12-week reference period.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Shift Planning Software: Utilise Breathe HR rota time and attendance software to help you create predictable working patterns and schedules.
  • HR Guidance: Receive HR advice to navigate and implement these changes smoothly.

Labour will put an end to the harmful practices of ‘fire and rehire’ and ‘fire and replace,’ which leave workers vulnerable to bullying threats. Labour is set to crack down on ‘fire and rehire’ tactics by improving consultation processes and amending laws on unfair dismissal and redundancy.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Consultation Process Management: We’ll guide you through the entire consultation process, supporting you every step of the way.
  • Redundancy Procedures: Our experts can help you update redundancy procedures to comply with new laws.

Labour’s commitment to tackling workplace harassment mandates employers to enhance their efforts in combating sexual harassment, aiming to foster a safer and more inclusive workplace environment.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Training and Policies: Park City Consulting specialises in implementing comprehensive workplace training programs that educate employees and management on identifying, preventing, and addressing sexual harassment. We also assist in developing and refining firm sexual harassment policies tailored to your organization’s specific needs and legal requirements.
  • Support Systems: Our HR Business Partners are on hand to help you streamline the reporting and management of harassment cases. From establishing confidential reporting channels to providing guidance on handling investigations, we ensure your business has the resources and protocols in place to effectively respond to and mitigate instances of workplace harassment.

Partner with Park City Consulting to proactively strengthen your workplace culture and compliance efforts against sexual harassment, aligning with Labour’s proposed reforms for a more secure and respectful work environment.

Labour is committed to reducing pay gaps by gender, ethnicity, and disability, ensuring that every vote counts towards equality and fairness. Companies with over 250 employees will have to publish their ethnicity pay gap.

How We Can Help:
  • Pay Gap Analysis: Our HR business partners will do a pay gap analysis and recommend actions.
  • Reporting: We’ll help you prepare and submit your pay gap report.

Pregnant employees, redundancy and TUPE-affected employees will have more protection under Labour’s policies.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Policy Changes: Our team are here to update your policies to comply with the latest employment law changes.
  • Compliance Checks: Regular checks and updates.

Under Labour’s new rules, you’ll be able to ask for flexible working from day one. Employers will need to get their policies and practices in order to support a flexible workforce.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Policy Review: We can help you review and update your flexible working policies to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

Labour’s plan includes extending statutory maternity and paternity leave, reviewing shared parental leave.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Policy Development: Create family-friendly policies that fit the new rules.
  • HR Support: We will help you provide advice and support for employees with family emergencies and responsibilities.

Labour plans to equalise employment rights by treating everyone the same, removing the distinction between ‘employee’ and ‘worker’. So everyone will have the same basic rights from day one.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Policy and Contract Updates: We’ll update your policies and contracts for you.
  • Tribunal Claims Prevention: We’ll help you prevent tribunal claims through compliance.

Labour will introduce the ‘right to disconnect’ to prevent out-of-hours surveillance of workers, ensuring employees are not pressured to communicate after work hours. This policy will be implemented across all regions, including Northern Ireland, to ensure fair treatment for all workers.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Policy Implementation: Create and enforce policies that respect employees’ right to disconnect.
  • Training and Awareness: Provide training to managers and staff on maintaining work-life balance.

The Labour Government plans to extend the time frame for filing employment tribunal claims and remove the cap on compensation awards, fairer outcomes in employment disputes.

How Park City Can Help:
  • Dispute Resolution: We offer robust dispute resolution services to manage tribunal claims efficiently.

As the dust settles we will be keeping you updated on what this means for your business. It is very early days for this new government, so while we only have the Labour election manifesto as an indication, experience tells us that not all manifesto items make it into law exactly as stated or at all. There remains some uncertainty over what changes will be introduced.

However, with Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s intent to act swiftly, we should know within the next few months which changes will make it into law and what they will look like. In the meantime, we advise all employers to prepare for the potential changes Labour has proposed during their campaign.

Take this opportunity to get ahead and schedule an initial chat with our team where we can walk you through the changes and what actions your business needs to take.

Never alone, stronger together with Park City Consulting. We’re your trusted Employment Law Ally, every step of the way.

Get Employment Law Support

Rest assured you have HR Support throughout the next period. We are here to help you implement the employment law changes in your business.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Discover some burning questions around the General Election and the impact it is going to have on businesses and employment law.

Park City Consulting can help your business stay on top of the upcoming employment law changes with our reliable HR Services:

24/7 HR Support: Our HR team is always available to answer your questions and provide guidance on any employment law issues that come up.

Policy Updates: We’ll review and update your existing HR policies to make sure they’re current with the latest laws.

Employee Training: We provide management training so your team so they understand the new laws and how to implement them.

Proactive Compliance Audits: We’ll conduct regular audits of your HR practices to identify potential areas of non-compliance and recommend fixes.

By partnering with Park City Consulting, you can navigate the complexities of the new employment laws with confidence and ensure your business remains compliant and protected.

Before labor laws change, business owners need to get ahead of the curve. First, stay informed by monitoring updates and announcements from government websites, legal publications and industry news. Review your HR policies and procedures to see what will be impacted by the new laws and make adjustments now. Schedule employee training for HR staff and management to understand the new laws and how to implement them.

Most importantly, partner with HR professionals like Park City Consulting who can provide guidance, conduct compliance audits and 24/7 support to keep you up to date and compliant. By doing so you’ll make the transition seamless and stay compliant with new labor laws.

To ensure your employee policies are up-to-date with the new legal requirements, consider outsourcing to Park City Consulting. Our team of HR professionals specialises in staying abreast of the latest legal developments, so you don’t have to.

We will conduct a comprehensive review of your current policies and procedures, identifying areas that need adjustment to comply with new laws.

Additionally, we provide regular updates and training for your staff, ensuring everyone is informed and compliant. With our 24/7 support, you can have peace of mind knowing that any questions or issues that arise will be promptly addressed.

By partnering with Park City Consulting, you can focus on running your business while we handle the complexities of employment law compliance.

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