King's Speech - Employment Rights Bill and what you need to know 17 th July 2024 saw the much anticipated Kings speech, in which Labour set out its plans for legislation changes which they will implement in their first months in government. Whilst the King made little reference to employment legislation, from the Prime minister’s briefing note which gives the detail, it seems pretty clear that significant changes are planned as Labour implement their ‘new deal for working people’ in full, with the introduction of the Employment Rights Bill. It’s fair to say that a lot of this was expected when Labour were elected, but we now know that change is definitely coming, so it’s time to start planning! The Plan includes commitments to the following: · Making parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal available from day 1 on the job for all workers · Banning exploitative zero hours contracts, ensuring workers have a right to a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work · Ending ‘fire and rehire’ and ‘fire and replace’ by reforming the law to provide effective remedies · Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay by removing the waiting period and lower earnings limit to make it available to all workers · Making flexible working the default from day one for all workers with employers required to accommodate this as far as is reasonable · Strengthening protections for new mothers by making it unlawful to dismiss a woman who has had baby for six months after her return to work, except in specific circumstances · Establishing a new Single Enforcement Body to strengthen enforcement of workplace rights · Establishing a fair pay agreement in the adult social care sector and potentially other sectors · Reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body · Updating trade union legislation so it is fit for a modern economy  · Simplifying the process of statutory union recognition There’s little detail as yet, but if you want to get ahead of this and make appropriate plans to make sure you’re ready when it comes, give us a call and we’ll set up an initial chat to discuss how this might affect you and what we can do to help. In the meantime, it’s worth having a think about your processes that might be affected, in particular your onboarding process, performance management, how you handle short service dismissals and absence management procedures.

Did you know there are different types of company culture? Let’s take a peek at the four types of company culture, along with their pros and cons: Clan Culture Clan culture thrives in startups, where a nurturing and supportive environment is highly valued. Employees are like family and prioritise maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. The risk? Too much freedom and fun can lead to a lack of focus. Adhocracy culture Here, there's a strong emphasis on flexibility and innovation, often seen in modern tech companies where creativity and new ideas flourish. There’s a downside though, as it can become chaotic with undefined roles. Market culture A market culture is driven by performance and results, emphasising profit and market share over community. A little warning: it can lead to burnout, potential conflicts between competitive employees and dishonesty. Hierarchy culture This is the most traditional type of business culture, centered around a clear hierarchical structure with defined processes. It comes with strict rules though, plus close supervision and multiple layers of management, which can feel a little rigid. As a business owner, taking a serious look at your company culture and its alignment isn't just a theoretical exercise—it delivers tangible benefits that propel your business to success.  Need some help refining your company culture? Get in touch! #CompanyCulture #Values #Framework #BusinessSuccess