The story so far…….

The manifestos have now been published and it is really as to be expected with few developments planned from the Conservatives and Labour clearly focusing their manifesto on the rights of workers and individuals. So what do they actually say which is relevant to Employers…..

Conservatives

• Continue to increase the minimum wage to 60% of the median earnings by 2020.
• Act to ensure that the interest of employees on traditional contracts, the self-employed and those working in the gig economy are protected.
• Require companies with more than 250 employees to publish more data on the earnings gap between men and women.
• Take steps to improve take up of shared parental leave and help companies provide more flexible working environment where mothers and fathers can share parenting.

Labour

• Give all workers equal rights from day one – so that working conditions are not driven down.
• Ban zero hour contracts so that every worker gets a guaranteed number of hours each week.
• Repeal the Trade Union Act and roll out collective-bargaining.
• Guarantee Trade Unions rights to access workplaces so that unions can speak to members and potential members.
• Four new public holidays.
• Raise the minimum wage to the level of the living wage expected to be at least £10 per hour by 2020.
• Ban unpaid internships.
• Enforce all workers rights to Trade Union representation at work so that all workers can be supported when negotiating with their employer.
• Abolish employment tribunal fees so that people have access to justice.
• Double paid paternity leave to 4 weeks and increase paternity pay.
• Strengthen  protection for women against unfair redundancy when on maternity leave.
• Give equality reps statutory rights so they have time to protect workers from discrimination.
• Shift the burden of proof so the law assumes a worker is an employee unless employer can prove otherwise.

Liberal Democrats

• Encourage the creation and widespread adoption of a good employer Kitemark, covering areas such as paying a living wage, avoiding unpaid internship and using name blind recruitment, to make it easier for customers and investors to exercise choice.
• Establish an independent review to consult on how to set a genuine living wage across all sectors.
• Extend transparency requirements on larger employers to include publishing the number of people paid less than the living wage.
• Modernise employment rights to make them fit for the age of the gig economy.
• Stamp out abuse of zero our contracts by creating a formal right to request a fixed contract.

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