Sets out the vision for the future of the UK labour market.
The long-awaited reform of employment law, following the Taylor Review and Good Work Report, is set out in the government’s Good Work Plan. Although the detail for many of the reforms is sparse, businesses will want to start preparing for the changes, the majority of which are due to come into force on 6 April 2020.
Background
Since 2010 we have had higher employment and lower unemployment in every region and every nation of the United Kingdom and wages are now growing at their fastest pace in almost a decade.
This success has been underpinned by an employment law and policy framework which strikes an effective balance between flexibility and worker protections. Businesses have been able to thrive and create jobs in record numbers as a result of flexibility and a celebration of innovation. Equally, workers in the UK have received protections and have benefitted from this Government’s commitment to fairness for all, including through the introduction of the National Living Wage.
With new opportunity comes new challenges. Back in 2017, the Prime Minister commissioned an independent review of Modern Working Practices – to ensure that the UK labour market can adapt effectively to embrace these changes whilst ensuring the protection of workers ‘rights in the UK. The review made several recommendations to Government – the vast majority of which were accepted in early 2018. The culmination of the review and further consultation was the introduction of The Good Work Plan. Which basically is the Government’s vision for the future of the UK labour market. A labour market that rewards people for hard work, that celebrates good employers and that is ambitious about boosting productivity and earnings potential in the UK.
The most significant change that will impact some employers, will be the requirement to give employees a statement of their conditions of employment from day 1 as from April 2020.
For most this has always been a best practice, so there should not be a massive shock for most organised employers. With the many changes outlined as part of the Good Work Plan, employers should start thinking practically about how it will impact them.
If you’re looking for a solution and want to know how the proposed changes will impact your business, we will carry out a comprehensive HR audit to identify if you have the correct contracts, policies, and procedures in place before it’s too late.
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