Raymond's Accountants’ Post

Labour plans employment bill to extend worker rights An election pledge from Labour was to ‘make work pay’ by giving employees’ day-one rights which has had mixed reactions from business leaders This marked a ground-breaking initiative for the government as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner engaged with labour unions and key industry bodies, such as the CBI and Federation of Small Business, to deliberate on the bold Make Work Pay strategies. Rayner's promises will begin with prohibiting zero-hours agreements, which, although they can be taken advantage of, can also benefit both workers and companies. A study by Indeed Flex indicates that 54% of HR leaders in the UK are backing this decision. The lowest wage will be adjusted to a real living wage, established by the Low Pay Commission, to accurately reflect the actual expenses of daily living and mirror the living expenses. Moreover, age categories will be removed, ensuring that all individuals receive equal access to the same minimum wage, although no specific date has been set for its implementation. #Labour #NationalLivingWage #Minimumwage #AngelaRayner #WorkerRights #ZeroHours

1 week ago, in the aftermath of Labour's landslide election win, I shared their manifesto proposal document for employment law. Plenty of people want to understand what it all means, and don't want the usual political waffle. There is, of course, the reality of governing to be faced, so we are yet to see all the concrete plans and there will be consultations on certain elements. But, here is as short a summary as I can muster: Modernising the World of Work - Challenges: Insecure work, job quality issues, and retention problems under the Conservatives. - Vision: Stable, well-paying jobs through collaboration with businesses and trade unions. - Key Reforms: Genuine living wage, ban on zero hours contracts, and ending fire and rehire practices. Implementation - Legislative Action: Comprehensive legislation within 100 days. - Consultation: Engage with stakeholders to refine and implement plans. - Focus Areas: Create a Single Enforcement Body, remove lower earnings limit on statutory sick pay, improve parental leave, and simplify employment status. Ending "One-Sided Flexibility" - Zero Hours Contracts: Ban exploitative contracts, ensure regular working hours in contracts. - Shift Notices: Guarantee reasonable notice and compensation for short-notice cancellations. - Fire and Rehire: End practice, ensure proper restructuring processes. Basic Day One Rights - Immediate Protections: Basic rights from day one, including unfair dismissal protection and parental leave. - Single Status of Worker: Simplify employment status framework to reduce exploitation. Family-Friendly Rights - Flexible Working: Default flexible working for all workers, ensuring feasibility for employers. - Parental Leave: Review and improve system for better support. - Maternity and Carers’ Rights: Enhance protections, consider paid carers' leave. - Bereavement Leave: Standardise the right to bereavement leave. - Right to Switch Off: Establish work-life boundaries for productivity and morale. Additional Reforms - Strengthening Trade Unions: Support stronger unions and collective bargaining. - Whistleblower Protections: Update protections, especially for reporting sexual harassment. - Self-Employment Support: Improve rights and protections, including written contracts and tackling late payments. - Minimum wage: Equalising the banding so all ages are paid the same. - Employment tribunals: Increase the time limit to bring claims to 6 months. #employmentlaw #labourparty #generalelection Full details:

Labour’s 'Make Work Pay' plan aims to transform the workforce by banning zero-hours contracts, ensuring all workers receive day-one rights such as sick pay, and raising the minimum wage to a true living wage. This initiative prioritises fairness and improved living standards for workers but also seeks to maintain strong collaboration with businesses throughout the process. Stay informed and see how these changes might impact you. 📞 01293 521191 🖥️ https://heyor.ca/W8NVbx #MakeWorkPay #LabourPolicy

Labour launched their Make Work Pay deal, committing to introduce legislation within the first 100 days of office focused on minimum wages reflecting the cost of living, removing age bands on worker benefits and expanding flexible working. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ezAPWREk #employmentsupport #FuturethatWorks

The #EmploymentAllowance is vital for so many small employers ✅ 📈 We told City AM that with the National Living Wage set to increase, the Government should announce a rise in the Employment Allowance to support small employers with rising costs 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNcQYWAE #Employers #SmallBusinesses

What will the new Labour government mean for employment rights? The short answer seems to be that workers will gain rights from day 1 (as opposed to the present situation whereby employees dismissed unfairly with less than two years' service are often deprived of any remedy) and will have up to six months, in place of the present three months, to bring claims to the Employment Tribunal. Whether that leads to an increase in ET claims (because more people have the right to bring them) or a decrease (because six months gives companies enough time to resolve matters internally) remains to be seen. Important to remember that, until legislation is implemented to make these changes, *the present rules apply*. It seems that the new legislation should be introduced in the next 100 days - watch this space. The longer answer (22 pages' worth) is here: https://lnkd.in/eiUmSccz

Labour has released an employment rights Green Paper – “A New Deal for Working People”, which includes plans to introduce a ‘fair pay agreement’ in the social care sector and ban zero-hour contracts. As CEO of Right at Home UK and Vice-Chair of the Homecare Association, I’m fully in favour of any proposal that seeks to improve pay and terms and conditions for our brilliant workforce. However, such proposals must be backed up by adequate funding and an overhaul of the way homecare is commissioned. Many councils continue to pay fee rates that aren’t even enough to cover the National Minimum Wage, let alone the extra costs of running a business. The Homecare Association has urged the Government to invest an extra £2.08 billion per year in the homecare sector. This would support councils to commission homecare at fee rates in line with the true costs of delivering quality care. Underestimating providers’ costs risks diminishing the availability of services and the experience of the workforce. An outright ban on zero-hour contracts could harm the homecare sector, as they offer the flexibility that many care professionals rely on. However, the devil will be in the detail and the paper is at least clear that the proposals will not prevent organisations from operating flexible workforces or varying shift patterns but will ensure a baseline level of security and predictability. Without a doubt we need to be able to understand the wider policy implications of Labour’s New Deal for Workers ahead of the next election.  https://lnkd.in/esMYjv7u

If you are wondering what the Labour Party will do about workers and employment [HR] read this document: https://lnkd.in/ef3v7mpV Legislation is promised within the first 100 days in office which seems likely to include 'basic individual employment rights from day one' this means protection against unfair dismissal. Most practitioners will testify that the employment tribunal system can't cope with the volume of claims as it is - approximately 20,000 claims per quarter with average award for unfair dismissal being £13,541 - but if employees no longer have to wait two years to have protected rights the number of claims is likely to significantly increase. Other measures are proposed in the plan are line with the Taylor Review [2017], including greater clarification of employment status and an end to bogus self-employment, as well as greater security of employment hours and a 'genuine living wage'. While many of these initiatives are likely to be welcomed by employees, and trade Union representatives, organisations, who are already struggling, will be faced with increased regulatory framework and increased costs. Firms seeking advice or HR support contact: peter.lawrence@humancapitaldept.com

Today - we have the newly released Liberal Democrat manifesto pledges and the key parts that will affect employment law and payroll changes 🎗 : 🎗 Modernise Employment Rights - Lib Deb are proposing to modernise employment rights so that they are fit for the age of the "gig" economy. As part of this plan, they want to implement a 20% higher minimum wage for people on zero hour contracts, workers to have a right to request fixed hours after 12 months on a zero hours contract, reviewing tax and national insurance status' of employees, dependant employees and freelancers to ensure fair and comparable treatment and finally to establish a new dependant contractor which sits in between an employee and a self employed worker 🎗 Worker protection enforcement authority - Establishing a robust new Worker Protection Enforcement Authority would consolidate the duties currently dispersed among three agencies. This unified entity would be responsible for enforcing the minimum wage, combatting modern slavery, and safeguarding agency workers 🎗 Genuine Living Wage - Create an independent review to suggest a bona fide living wage applicable across all sectors. Government departments and all other public sector employers would spearhead the effort by adopting and paying this recommended wage 🎗 Fixing SSP - Achieved by making it available to the more than 1 million workers who earn less than £123 a week, whilst at the same time aligning it with National Minimum Wage and making payments available from day 1 rather than day 4 Another set of interesting policy changes and whilst there is no stage in period estimated, could make a dramatic change to both recruitment and payroll sectors. What are your thoughts? #election #libdem #employment #payroll

Useful checklist for hiring managers!