The new government and its approach to work and family

Achieving a balance between business and employees is no easy task, as Bright Horizon's Jennifer Liston-Smith explores

Is it possible to achieve both stability and change? Can a government commit both to business growth and to a ‘new deal’ of better protection for the workforce?

This is the narrow course the new Labour Government has commitment to forge, with a promised decade of renewal.

Much is being discussed in the UK now about the way ahead for employers, including this helpful summary in HR review. In Bright Horizons’ world of empowering employers and employees to combine work and family, we will be ready, as ever, to work with employers in navigating the changes and supporting business.

We are planning a webinar on 17 September to unpack some of the manifesto promises that include:

Childcare: continuing the current rollout of government-funded childcare for the under 5s. There is also an aspiration to create more places, with school classrooms considered to be an option.
Family-friendly legislation: aims to make parental leave a day-one right; introduce right to bereavement leave; make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant employees for six months after return from maternity leave except in specific circumstances. Review the implementation of carer’s leave and examine benefits of introducing paid carer’s leave.
Flexible working: make flexible working the default from day one for all workers except where it is not reasonably feasible. Introduce the right to disconnect, similar to France, Spain and Australia.
Other aspects of Diversity & Inclusion: introduce mandatory reporting on ethnicity and disability (alongside gender) for organisations with over 250 staff. Require large employers with more than 250 employees to produce Menopause Action Plans.

Ahead of the election, Bright Horizons’ executive HR director Janine Leightley was interviewed by Personnel Today. She set out what the childcare sector would like to see from a new government.

Areas of focus included talent attraction and retention through raising the status of the childcare profession, better training routes and also adding early years practitioners to the immigration salary list, given the minimum salary for a skilled worker visa is £38,700. A professional body – the Royal College of Early Years – was also mooted.

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