What does the new Labour government mean for employment law?
With the outcome of the general election being a win for the Labour Party with a significant majority, attention now turns to what the new government plans to do with the mandate it has been given. Dan Chapman, Head of Employment discusses what that means for employment law.
After 6 weeks of campaigning, we now know the outcome of the general election: the Labour Party has won a significant majority.
Attention now turns to what the new government plans to do with the mandate that it has been given by the British public.
In the area of employment law in particular, the Labour Party campaigned on the promise of significant reform, with policies that include:
- Banning zero-hours contracts.
- Reforming the practice of fire and rehire, where an employer makes an employee redundant and then re-engages them on less favourable terms and conditions, to limit the circumstances in which it can be used.
- Making parental leave and protection from unfair dismissal day one rights.
- Increasing the time limit to bring employment tribunal claims to six months.
- Simplifying employment status so that someone is either a worker or genuinely self-employed.
- Increasing the minimum wage so that it is a genuine living wage.
- Removing the age bands so that all adults are entitled to the same minimum wage.
- Taking action to reduce the gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps.
- Strengthening protections against maternity and menopause discrimination and sexual harassment as well as strengthening protections for whistleblowers reporting sexual harassment.
- Introducing a right to switch off.
- Updating trade union legislation by removing some restrictions on trade union activity, improving access to trade unions within workplaces and strengthening the protections available to trade union representatives and members.
The Labour Party has pledged to introduce legislation to Parliament within 100 days of taking office. This legislation is likely to incorporate many of the proposed changes set out above and will have a significant impact on the way the employment tribunal system and employment law in general operates in the United Kingdom.
This does not mean that the changes will be in force within 100 days: the legislation will have to go through the parliamentary process, and it is highly likely that there will then be an implementation period of some kind to allow institutions and businesses to prepare for the upcoming changes.
Whilst there are still uncertainties over how the legislation will ultimately look or when the changes will come into effect, what is clear is that a Labour government will mean a fundamental change to the world of work.
Our Employment Team at Leathes Prior will keep you abreast of these changes and what they mean for you in the coming weeks and months as the legislation is drafted and progresses through Parliament.
If you have any employment-related issues or would like advice our specialist team would be happy to assist you further. Please email info@leathesprior.co.uk or call us on 01603 281153.
Note: The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.
Autumn Budget 2025: Agricultural Property Relief & Business Property Relief Changes
It was announced in the 2025 Budget that from 6 April 2026, changes will be made to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These changes bring APR and BPR in line with the nil-rate band rules, meaning unused allowances can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner. This is a significant step towards making estate planning easier for families who own farms or businesses.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is expected to come into force tomorrow (18 December 2025)
After an extended period of back-and-forth amendments between Parliament and the House of Lords, on 16 December 2025, the ERB finally received approval from the House of Lords, with the formality of Royal Assent due to take place tomorrow (18 December 2025). Head of LP Employment, Dan Chapman, explains...
Autumn Budget 2025: Agricultural Property Relief & Business Property Relief Changes
It was announced in the 2025 Budget that from 6 April 2026, changes will be made to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These changes bring APR and BPR in line with the nil-rate band rules, meaning unused allowances can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner. This is a significant step towards making estate planning easier for families who own farms or businesses.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is expected to come into force tomorrow (18 December 2025)
After an extended period of back-and-forth amendments between Parliament and the House of Lords, on 16 December 2025, the ERB finally received approval from the House of Lords, with the formality of Royal Assent due to take place tomorrow (18 December 2025). Head of LP Employment, Dan Chapman, explains...
Charity of the Month: The Matthew Project
Leathes Prior is delighted to be supporting The Matthew Project as our Charity of the Month for December 2025. The Matthew Project supports young people and adults across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex to overcome issues around drugs, alcohol, and mental health, empowering them to rebuild confidence and lead fulfilling lives.
Leathes Prior’s Milan Pandit appointed President of the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society
Leathes Prior Solicitors is proud to announce that Milan Pandit, Solicitor in our Corporate & Commercial Team, has been appointed President of the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society (NNLS) for 2025/26.
Commercial Lease Renewals: A guide for Landlords & Tenants
Commercial lease renewals are a topic that every commercial landlord and business that rents commercial premises should have at the forefront of their minds. It is essential for good succession planning, though it is often neglected until the expiry of an existing lease term is looming or once the existing term has come to an end and the tenant is holding over. In this article, our newly qualified solicitor, Maggie Berry explores the process that landlords and tenants can expect when navigating this complex area of law.
Our Guidance, Your Legacy: What is a Will, and why should I make one?
Not only is a Will one of the most important steps you can take to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are respected, but it also limits the likelihood of a claim/dispute following your death. To ensure your loved ones and the causes you care about benefit from your estate, a Will is essential to ensuring this happens. Find out more in this article.
Lease extensions: The essentials to getting started
Extending your lease can seem complex, but taking the right steps early can make the process much smoother. Jake Mowatt, Associate and Harry Smith, Trainee Solicitor in our Residential Property Team outlines the key essentials every leaseholder should understand prior to extending their lease.
Upcoming changes to bringing employment law claims: What these mean for you
The highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to increase the time limits in which employees can bring an employment tribunal claim. Gareth Stevens & Rose Woolterton explain what this means for employers & employees.
Service Charges in Residential Leases: FAQs
Service charges are forever a hot topic in the world of property disputes, and it remains one of the most contentious areas between freeholders and leaseholders, particularly in long residential leases. Danny Turpin, Associate, discusses frequently asked questions regarding service charges on long residential leases.
Leathes Prior winners in nine categories in the prestigious Legal 500 Future Laywer Survey
We are thrilled to announce that the firm has placed once again in the Legal 500 Future Lawyer survey as No.1 in the UK for our Social Life; a ranking we have held in the survey for seven years out of the past nine years.
Jess’s Rule – New Guidelines for GPs
A new initiative is being rolled out across GP practices across England in the hope of preventing serious illnesses being missed by GPs where patients present with the same, or deteriorating, symptoms on multiple occasions. Kimberley Nelson in our Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence Team discusses new guidelines for GPs.
Leathes Prior are excited to announce that four Trainee Solicitors qualify at the firm
Leathes Prior is excited to announce that four of our amazing trainees, Eleanor Chapman, Maggie Berry, Alex Robinson, and Georgia Sartin, have successfully completed their training contracts and are now qualifying as Solicitors at the firm.
