General Election 2019 – Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto – analysis of their employment promises

Whilst Brexit features prominently, the Conservatives Party 2019 Election Manifesto proposes to “make the UK the best place in the world to work” by making a number of changes to employment law and worker’s rights. If re-elected, their pledges include:

1. Providing unpaid carers with one additional week of leave per year. It is not specified whether this is paid or unpaid;

2. The creation of a new ‘National Skills Fund’ worth £3 billion, to provide education and training to workers and SMEs;

3. The creation of a £1 billion fund to help create more high quality, affordable childcare, including before and after school and during the school holidays.

4. Allowing working parents to take extended leave for neonatal care. The Government had previously announced that it was launching a consultation on this proposal on 19^th July 2019, to offer one week of paid leave (although the manifesto does not repeat that detail).

5. Creating a single enforcement body and crack down on any employer abusing employment law to ensure worker’s rights are upheld.

6. Ensuring that workers have the right to request a, “more predictable contract”, and other “reasonable protections”. No details are provided.

7. A policy to, “encourage flexible working” and consult on making this the default position for all employers, unless there are good reasons not to. Currently, employers are free to refuse a flexible working request if there are good business reasons for doing so;

8. An introduction of the ‘Australian style’ points-based immigration system, based on skills and prioritising people who have a, “good grasp of English”, are law abiding citizens in their own countries, and have a good education and qualification.

9. Reducing the age threshold for the national living wage from 25 to 21 and increasing the current national living wage from £8.21 to £10.50 by 2024.

Whilst this manifesto does not include significant detail as to how employment law would actually change (and is lighter on specific details than the other main parties), in the interests of balance it should be noted that the Conservative Government has already implemented a number of employment-law changes and has proposed others (for example, extending the redundancy protection period for pregnant women and new mothers – https://franklins-sols.co.uk/blog/employment-blog/proposal-to-extend-employee-rights-after-maternity-leave/).

To read the Conservative’s full Manifesto you can click on the link below:- https://assets-global.website-files.com/5da42e2cae7ebd3f8bde353c/5dda924905da587992a064ba_Conservative%202019%20Manifesto.pdf.

If you want to discuss the past or proposed changes to employment law, or any other employment issue, please feel free to email ben.stanton@franklins-sols.co.uk, or call our Employment Team on 01908 660966 or 01604 828282.