Assuming Labour wins the next election, employers will have eighteen months to prepare for some fundamental changes to employment rights. The party’s green paper, published in 2021 set about changing significant issues of low pay, insecurity, and disempowerment all within the first 100 days in power, by introducing a single status of “worker” and a day one right for all workers to claim unfair dismissal, removing the cap on compensation and abolishing zero hours contracts and the right to fire and rehire.

The likelihood of being elected has become tantalisingly closer and the question is now whether Labour will water down those pledges under pressure from big business who see the proposals as a serious threat to UK competitiveness.

Read the full article on page 23: Business Voice Winter 2023

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Business Voice is the official publication of Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group which represents over 3,000 businesses from micro to multi-national organisations throughout Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Swindon.

Employers have to assume there will be some change, and it is likely to be significant. That means starting to look at people and processes now.