The Labour Party women and equalities secretary, Dawn Butler, announced proposals under their manifesto to increase statutory maternity pay to 12 months to ensure mothers could spend the maximum time off with pay.
She commented, “Labour will deliver a workplace revolution to bring about a step-change in how women are treated at work. We’ll boost pay, increase flexibility, and strengthen protections against harassment and discrimination.”
Additional pledges include lowering the current Gender Pay Gap threshold for reporting duties to workplaces with 50 or more employees by 2020, in addition to requirements for employers to introduce a menopause policy as well employers developing further policies on flexible working, which would enable employees access to determine their own working hours under extensions to flexible working rights. Employers will need to provide evidence that a job role is not suited to flexible working.
Additional measures are to raise the time frame for Tribunal claims from three to six months.
