UK: Horizon Scanning – The Queen’s Speech 2022

Authors: Ruth Bonino, Corinna Harris and Sophie Jackson

The Queen’s Speech 2022 (10^th May 2022) did not include an Employment Bill despite the government first having announced in December 2019 that it would bring forward a new Employment Bill to ‘protect and enhance workers’ rights.

The reforms expected in a new Employment Bill include:

• making flexible working the default
• extending redundancy protection for pregnant employees and for up to 6 months after return from maternity leave
• right to 12 weeks’ paid neonatal leave for parents whose babies spend time in neonatal care units
• working carers’ right to 5 days’ unpaid leave each year
• right for workers with variable hours to request a more predictable contract after 26 weeks’ service
• a single labour market enforcement agency

The Queen’s Speech did, however, announce:

• a new Harbours (Seafarers’ Remuneration) Bill intended to protect seafarers working on ferries regularly visiting UK ports. For more information on this, read our article here.  This measure has been proposed as part of a package of new measures designed to protect seafarers following P&O’s decision to dismiss 800 workers in March 2022;
• a new Modern Slavery Bill which will seek to strengthen the protection and support for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, increasing the accountability of companies; and
• a new Data Reform Bill which aims to create a UK data protection framework that reduces burdens on businesses.

And separately:

• the government has confirmed that that it will bring in legislation to protect low paid workers by extending the ban on exclusivity clause in employment contracts to cover those whose weekly income is on or below the Lower Earnings Limit (currently £123 per week). This measure will prevent employers from contractually restricting low-earning employees from working for other employers; and
• the government has commissioned Matt Warman, MP to carry out a review – the Future of Work  – to be conducted over spring and summer 2022 to include recommendations to guide long-term, strategic policy making on the labour market.

Key Action Points for Human Resources and In-house Counsel

It seems that there will not be any progress with the Employment Bill this year, although it is possible it will be implemented next year, particularly as the next election could still be two years away.