The Labour Party recently published their updated New Deal for Working People detailing plans to address issues such as insecure work, low pay, and exploitative contracts and pledges to “move towards” a simpler two-part employment status framework. Below is a breakdown of Labour’s five key proposals:
1) New ‘day one’ rights - Labour plans to implement basic rights from the first day of employment, such as protection against unfair dismissal, parental leave, and statutory sick pay. This policy aims to eliminate current waiting periods, ensuring that all workers have immediate access to essential protections.
2) Single ‘worker’ status - Labour intends to simplify the UK's employment status framework by transitioning to a single worker status. This proposed change seeks to reduce ambiguity, making it easier for workers and employers to understand their rights and obligations.
3) Banning ‘exploitative’ Zero Hours Contracts - Labour proposes to end exploitative zero hours contracts by ensuring all workers receive contracts that reflect their regular working hours. This policy aims to provide greater job security and predictability for workers, addressing the financial instability associated with fluctuating work hours.
4) Flexible Working - Labour aims to make flexible working the default option for all workers from day one. This policy would require employers to demonstrate that flexible working is not feasible if they wish to deny such requests, promoting a standard practice of flexibility in the workplace.
5) Strengthening Family-Friendly Rights - Labour plans to review and enhance the current parental leave system to better support working families. This includes introducing a day one right to parental leave and strengthening protections against maternity discrimination by making it unlawful to dismiss a pregnant woman for six months after her return to work.
Additionally, over the weekend, Labour launched a new Back to Work Plan, detailing how they would meet their target to increase the employment rate from 75 to 80 per cent. Included in these plans are:
- A new combined national jobs and careers service. This would bring together jobcentreplus and the careers service, to get more people into work and to support those seeking better paid work.
- New local plans for work, health, and skills support to get more people with health conditions and disabilities into work, with devolved funding and leadership from Mayors and local areas.
- A youth guarantee that would mean opportunities for training, an apprenticeship or help to find work for all young people aged 18- 21 years old.
