Earlier this week the Liberal Democrats published their Election manifesto, which contains a number of pledges for working people and employers if they win the election on 4 July. 

We have set out their key employment pledges below.

Status and the gig economy

• Establish a new ‘dependent contractor’ employment status inbetween employment and self-employment, with entitlements to basic rights such as minimum earning levels, sick pay and holiday entitlement.
• Review the tax and National Insurance status of employees, dependent contractors and freelancers to ensure fair and comparable treatment.
• Set a 20% higher minimum wage for people on zero-hour contracts at times of normal demand to compensate them for the uncertainty of fluctuating working hours. 
• Give zero-hours and agency workers a right to request a fixed-hours contract after 12 months (a right not to be unreasonably refused). 

Family and carer rights

• Double statutory maternity pay and shared parental pay to £350 per week.
• Introduce an extra ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ leave of one month for fathers and partners, paid at 90% of earnings (with a cap for high earners).
• Parental leave and pay to be a day 1 right, which will also apply to self-employed parents.
• Require large employers to publish their parental leave and pay policies.
• Make caring and care experience protected characteristics, as well as introducing paid carer’s leave and a Carer’s Minimum wage.

Sick pay 

• Statutory sick pay to be payable from day 1 of sickness.
• Ensure that statutory sick pay is available for employees who earn less than £123 per week and align it with national minimum wage.
• Introduce a right for every disabled person to work from home, unless there is a significant business reason not to.
• Simplify the Access to Work scheme.
• Introduce “Adjustment Passports” to record all adjustments, modifications and equipment that a disabled person has received, and ensure that Access to Work support and equipment stays with the individual if they change jobs.

Employee protection

• Make flexible working a day 1 right.
• Encourage employers to promote employee ownership by giving staff in listed companies with more than 250 employees a right to request shares.
• Scrap the lower apprentice rate and ensure that apprentices receive at least national minimum wage.
• Shift the burden of proof for employment status claims in the Employment Tribunal from the individual to the employer.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Require larger employers to monitor and publish data on gender, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQ+ employment levels, pay gaps and progression and publish 5-year aspirational diversity targets.
• Provide support and advice to employers on neurodiversity in the workplace.
• Extend the use of the name-blind recruitment process.