Election round-up – what can we expect?

James Williams

13th June 2024 Labour Party manifesto Change pledged to introduce new legislation within 100 days:-

1. To ban exploitative zero hours contracts ensuring:

  • Anyone working regular hours for 12 weeks or more would be entitled to a contract to reflect the regular hours worked.
  • All workers must be given reasonable notice of any change in shifts or working time and would be entitled to their full wages for any shifts cancelled without proper notice.

2. To create a single status of ‘worker’.

  • All individuals with worker status, regardless of sector, wage or type of contract, would be given the same rights and protections, including sick pay, holiday pay, parental leave and protection against unfair dismissal.

3. To extend the time limit to bring an ET claim to 6 months.

4. To introduce basic rights from day one:-

  • Parental leave
  • Sick pay
  • Protection from unfair dismissal

5. To end ‘fire and rehire’.

  • Adapting unfair dismissal and redundancy legislation to prevent workers being dismissed for failing to agree to a worse contract.

6. To make flexible working the default from day one for all workers, except where it is not reasonably feasible.

7. To introduce a new “right to switch off” providing workers the right to disconnect from work outside of working hours and not be contacted by their employer.

8. To reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body which will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training, career progression routes, and fair pay rates for support staff.

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

James Williams – Solicitor

James Williams

I am a qualified Employment Law and HR Solicitor. I specialise in acting for schools and advise on all aspects of employment law and HR including attending employee meetings, advising senior leaders, conducting redundancy consultations, drafting contracts of employment, advising on policies and procedures and negotiating settlement agreements.