Yesterday, Labour set out their legislative agenda for their first months in government.

Among the key highlights, and in the King’s Speech itself, was a commitment to “legislation to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights”.

Keir Starmer’s briefing notes expanded on Labour’s plans, reflecting their determination to swiftly implement their ‘New Deal for Working People’ as follows:

• A day 1 right to parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal (subject to special rules applicable during probationary periods);

• Exploitative zero-hours contracts will be banned, ensuring workers have a right to a contract that reflects their regular working hours;

• Fire & rehire practices will be ended by reforming the law and replacing the current statutory code;

• The lower earnings limit and three day waiting period for SSP will be removed;

• Strengthening protections for new mothers, by making it unlawful to dismiss a woman who has had a baby for six months after her return to work (except in specific circumstances);

• Making flexible working the default from day one for all workers, with employers required to accommodate this as far as is reasonable;

• Creating a ‘Fair Work Agency’ – a new Single Enforcement Body in order to strengthen enforcement of workplace rights;

• Establishing a ‘Fair Pay Agreement’ in the adult social care sector and, following review, assessing how and to what extent such agreements could benefit other sectors;

• Updating trade union legislation including making the statutory recognition process simpler, removing minimum service levels during industrial action and the introducing the right for workers and union members to access a union within workplaces.

In addition, the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will give full rights to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people, which the briefing notes claim will make it easier for them to bring pay discrimination claims. It will also introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for employers with 250+ employees.

We will keep you informed of further developments and once the draft legislation is itself published, we can provide further information on the planned changes to employment law.

Keep an eye out for further updates which we are expecting to be introduced within the first 100 days of the Labour Government taking office.

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