Equality at work

Steps will be made to close the gender pay gap , and awareness will be raised of neurodiversity in the workplace .

Basic day-one rights

Employees will have basic rights from day one of their employment . This will end the current system under which employees have to wait up to 2 years for protection against unfair dismissal , and rights to parental leave and sick pay .

Pay-gap reporting

Large firms will be required to publish and implement action plans to close gender pay gaps , with outsourced workers to be included . The publishing of ethnicity and disability pay gaps will also be made mandatory for employers with more than 250 staff .

Rights at work

A single enforcement body will be established to enforce workers ' rights .

Changes to employment tribunals

The time period for employees to make a claim to a tribunal will increase from 3 months to 6 months .

National Minimum Wage

The government wants to make sure the minimum wage is a real living wage that people can live on . It will remove the current age bands , to ensure every adult worker benefits . The new minimum wage will take into account the cost of living and be set accordingly . The government will work with a new single enforcement body and HMRC to ensure this is enforced and reflected in workers ' contracts .

Trade union legislation

Some restrictions on trade union activity will be removed to ensure industrial relations are based around good-faith negotiations and bargaining .

Collective grievances

The government will make it easier for workers to collectively raise a grievance about conduct in their workplace to the Advisory , Conciliation and Arbitration Service ( ACAS ).

Safer workplaces

There will be a review into health and safety guidance , with a view to modernising current legislation .

Flexible working rights Flexible working will be a day-one right for all workers .

8 Veterinary Nursing Journal