Election Special – The Road Ahead for Work and HR
The political parties know there’s a lot to play for among entrepreneurs and working people, but what will they be able to deliver and when? More importantly, what will employers have to adapt to and address once the last votes are counted? As a new government takes power, The HR World lined up three specialists to discuss the implications for HR and the world of work.
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As a new government takes power, The HR World lined up three specialists to discuss the implications for HR and the world of work. Hannah Waddington, Managing Director – Maru Search & Consultancy, Anna Elliott, Partner – Osborne Clarke and Alice Spicer Edwards, Senior Associate – Osborne Clarke gave their views from legal and people perspectives on Sir Kier Starmer and his teams’ plans.
Sponsored by both Osborne Clarke and Maru Search & Consultancy, the panel explored how the exact timetable and impact of the manifesto will emerge over time, discussing changes in employment law, in workplace practices, in the use of AI and technology and the resulting impact on the wider economy.
The discussion delved into the proposed changes in as much detail as possible, noting that in some cases such changes would also require secondary legislation and therefore take longer to be enacted than others. Overall there was a clear sense of HR needing to maintain awareness of the changes, to be ahead of the game in order to ensure systems and processes were ready to match the government’s intent. Alongside this, there was a sense that businesses could find themselves needing to address issues such as their own diversity and equality as measures such and the Gender Pay Gap become a statutory requirement. Businesses may also need to address their workplace culture if ideas such as there right to ‘switch off’ (not be contacted outside working hours) become legally enforceable.
Skills were also high on the agenda with changes to the Apprenticeship Levy highlighted as the government seeks to address the skills gaps which exist across the economy. The hope here is that by ensuring those skills exist the economy will have more chance to grow and people to prosper.
While the government has stated its intention to bring some legislation forward within the first 100 days of power, businesses and HR will not be faced with a sudden switch into Labour’s new ideas. Instead change in most areas will be gradual, enabling employers to adapt and implement the steps necessary to meet the new government’s vision.
Read our Q&A: Election Special for the follow up discussion.
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About Maru Search & Consultancy and Osborne Clarke
Maru Search & Consultancy is a full-service, UK-wide search consultancy aimed at supporting leaders grow business through holistic talent attraction and recruitment strategies. Our aim is not just to find you the right talent, but to ensure that the people you bring into your business are successful, happy and stick around.
Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice. We’ve been providing strategic and on-point advice for more than 250 years and we have a presence across Europe, Asia and the US.
Speakers
Hannah Waddington, Managing Director - Maru Search & Consultancy
Hannah Waddington is the Managing Director of Maru Search & Consultancy, which she founded in November 2020 with the aim of creating a more holistic approach to recruitment.
Specialising in HR and Transformation recruitment, Hannah works with a wide range of clients from international banks to local councils. She is passionate about supporting each client and candidate as individuals, creating a personalised service which does not end once the candidate has started the role.
Maru means ‘Circle’ in Japanese, as Hannah believes the recruitment process should be cyclical and consultative, rather than transactional.
Anna Elliott, Partner - Osborne Clarke
Anna Elliott leads the Bristol employment team at Osborne Clarke and is a dual-qualified and experienced employment lawyer with over 17 years’ experience gained both in the UK and Australia. Known for her commercial solutions-driven approach, Anna’s clients range from large global corporates to smaller companies. She has significant experience advising clients in the fashion and luxury, life sciences and healthcare, workforce solutions, fintech, media and technology sectors. She also leads the firm’s Retail and Consumer sector team and is a member of the OC Gender committee.
Alice Spicer Edwards, Senior Associate - Osborne Clarke
Alice is a Senior Associate in the Employment team at Osborne Clarke and is based in London.
Alice provides practical and commercial advice on a wide range of employment-related matters, including discrimination, disciplinary issues, grievances and TUPE. Alice is experienced in drafting and negotiating employment documentation such as contracts, handbooks and policies.
Alice also has considerable experience in respect of employee relations matters and is very used to advising on complex litigation. Alice works with a broad range of clients, and in particular those in the Retail and Consumer and Workforce Solutions sectors. She also has experience working on cross-jurisdictional matters, supporting clients base in the US and across Europe.
Host
Simon Kent, Head of Content - The HR World
Simon Kent has been a freelance journalist in the field of HR and the workplace for over 20 years. He cut his teeth travelling the country asking people what they did for a living for The Guardian and developing an interest in how work and employees are managed.
He has written extensively for the national press, business and professional publications dedicated to general and specific HR functions, taking in HR tech, pay and benefits, legal, training, recruitment and more. He has edited HR and public sector magazines, digging out the best stories and liaising with senior level personnel and high-profile public sector leaders to bring great content to readers.
He has written books, blogs, white papers, features, profile, case studies and more. He has chaired round tables and brought high quality coverage online to a diverse platforms as electronic media has evolved. He continues to be motivated to find the stories and subjects that matter most to readers and ensure they deliver value every time.
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