Often my travel time is my thought time….to be honest, it’s the only time I get on my own to reflect on things! Recently I’ve been reflecting on the key topics of conversation I hear when I’m onsite with clients. Of course there are the obvious topics, such as who’s going to win the Euro’s, who’s booked their summer holiday and surprisingly the hot topic of the moment is about who’s going to be standing outside Number 10 in the forthcoming days.
It feels like everywhere I go people are generally concerned about what a new Government might bring, especially to small businesses and companies. So, if the rumours are true and Labour do win the election, what impact could this have on HR matters?
In a nutshell, the labour manifesto has 3 key themes running through it:
Workers’ rights – changes to employment rights and other specific areas highlighted below
Immigration – reforming the points based system to make it fairer
Getting people into work – helping people into work and guaranteeing access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18-to-21-year-olds. This will include reforming the apprenticeship levy.
If Labour are elected, it may be time to buckle up as it is clear from the manifesto that they want change to happen quickly…..in fact within 100 days of being elected and that works out as just over 3 months!
There will be new rights from day one for employees regarding unfair dismissal, flexible working and parental leave, as Labour want to create fairer working conditions and greater security for employees.
Other areas that Labour are looking to make changes to include:
· Employment status
· Employment rights
· Zero hours contracts
· Redundancy
· Trade unions
· Harassment policies
· Pay gap reporting
There’s going to be a lot to get our heads around but don’t worry at Ena HR we’re already working on what this may look like for companies, should Labour win.
My key message to employers’ is don’t panic and here’s why….
· You already have policies and procedures in place – they just might need tweaking and adapting
· If you have management tools to manage employees use them as soon as concerns are raised. If you don’t have them, speak with us at Ena HR and we’ll gladly help you
· The probationary period exists in every company……use this time wisely to assess that the employee is capable and right for the company. If not, follow the correct procedures!
· You probably know where your skills gaps are, if you don’t speak with Ena HR who can help you identify these and work out how to fill them
See it’s not so scary!
As companies you have the foundations, it’s just the way that it’s built or constructed may change slightly.
Also, you can contact Ena HR at anytime if you need a friendly hand to guide and support you through this time.
Contact us at hello@ena-hr.co.uk or via
Tel: 07779 788 957
One thing that I would remind everyone as we head towards Thursday, if change does happen, everyone will react differently to it. Some may just breeze through it whereas others will be concerned and maybe anxious about the change. This is where it is important to understand where your employees are on the change curve and ensure that that are ok.
If in doubt, check in with them and ask them.
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