The General Election is fast approaching, but what are the political parties saying about employment and the future of work?  Hannah Steenkamp, FJG Solicitor Apprentice brings us some of the highlights and key pledges from the manifestos by party:

Conservatives

  • Plan to amend the Equality Act 2010 to define sex as biological sex.
  • Maintain the National Living Wage at two-thirds of median earnings.
  • Make a 2p reduction off employee National Insurance Contributions and they have a long-term plan to abolish it altogether.
  • Tax cuts to support the self-employed by abolishing the main rate of National Insurance by the end of the Parliament.
  • Reform disability benefits so they are better targeted and reflect people’s genuine needs, whilst delivering a step change in mental health provision.
  • Tighten up how the benefit system accesses capability for work.
  • Improve the fit note process so that people are not being signed off sick as a default.
  • Introduce tougher sanctions so people who refuse to take up sustained jobs after 12 months on benefits can have their cases closed and their benefits removed entirely.
  • Speed up the roll out of Universal Credit to ensure it always pays to work.
  • Clamp down further on people fraudulently claiming benefits.
  • Reform the Child Maintenance Service to prevent non-compliance and introduce new laws to help crack down on non-payment.
  • More Apprenticeships – the Conservatives plan to fund 100,000 more apprenticeships in England every year by the end of the next parliamentary term.
  • Carefully considering the implications of the review of the whistleblowing framework for the NHS and consulting on a disbarring regime for NHS managers.

Labour

  • A new partnership with business to boost growth everywhere.
  • Recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers in key subjects.
  • A National Wealth Fund to invest in jobs.
  • A New Deal for Working People.
  • Establish Skills England to bring together business, training providers and unions with national and local government to ensure there is the highly trained workforce needed to deliver Labour’s Industrial Strategy.
  • Reform the Apprenticeships Levy with a flexible Growth and Skills Levy, with Skills England consulting on eligible courses to ensure qualifications offer value for money.
  • Introduce a new Green Prosperity Plan, in partnership with business through our National Wealth Fund, which will create 650,000 jobs across the country by 2030.
  • Bring Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service together to provide a national jobs and careers service.
  • Replace the business rates system.
  • Cap corporation tax at the current level of 25%, the lowest in the G7.
  • Commit to one major fiscal event a year, with due warning of tax and spending policies and they will publish a roadmap for business taxation for the next parliament.
  • Implement stronger protection for whistleblowers – although it has not set out how it will achieve this.

Liberal Democrats

  • Double Statutory Maternity and Shared Paternity Pay to £350 a week, whilst also increasing pay for paternity leave to 90% earnings, with a cap for high earners.
  • Require large employers to publish their parental leave and pay policies.
  • Make caring and care experience protected characteristics as well as the introduction of paid carer’s leave and carer’s minimum wage.
  • Plan to set a 20% higher minimum wage for people on zero-hour contracts at time of normal demand to compensate them for the uncertainty of fluctuating hours, plus giving the right to request a fixed hours contract after 12 months for zero hours workers, which should not be unreasonably refused.
  • Plan to develop an industrial strategy that will give businesses certainty and incentivise them to invest in new technologies to grow the economy, create good jobs and tackle the climate crisis.
  • Break down trade barriers and build stronger future relationships with close trading partners, including improving our damaged relationship with Europe.
  • Correct the skills and recruitment crisis by investing in education and training, including increasing the availability of apprenticeships and career advice for young people.
  • Boost productivity and empower more people to enter the job market – such as parents, carers and disabled people – by making the most of technology and new ways of working.
  • Boost small businesses and empower them to create new local jobs, including by abolishing business rates and replacing them with a Commercial Landowner Levy to help high streets.
  • Introduce a general duty of care for the environment and human rights in business operations and supply chains.
  • Create a new Office of the Whistleblower which will provide legal protections and promote greater awareness of people’s rights when it comes to whistleblowing.

We will have to wait and see what the outcome is on 4 July to see which of the parties’ manifestos will be the one to take effect.  Whilst there may be changes ahead for employers and employees alike, these will no doubt take time to be implemented.  If you would like advice on how changes in employment law affect you or your business, contact the Dispute Resolution team on 01245 584523 or contact us.