Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

BrexitEmployment lawEquality, diversity and inclusionGig economyEmployment contracts

Queen’s speech 2017: Brexit dominates legislative programme

by Rob Moss 21 Jun 2017
by Rob Moss 21 Jun 2017 James Gourley/REX/Shutterstock
James Gourley/REX/Shutterstock

The Queen has outlined the minority Government’s legislative programme for the next two years, concentrating on eight separate Brexit-related bills. However, some of the manifesto pledges made by the Conservatives have been omitted.

For employers, the Queen’s speech and the detail of the Government’s plans retains some, but not all, of the Tory election pledges.

The Government’s legislative plans

Matthew Taylor review: expect a right to request fixed hours

Government makes U-turn on national insurance rises

Conservatives outline commitments on workers’ rights

The Queen began her speech on the subject of Brexit: “My government’s priority is to secure the best possible deal as the country leaves the European Union.

“My ministers are committed to working with Parliament, the devolved administrations, business and others to build the widest possible consensus on the country’s future outside the European Union.

“A bill will be introduced to repeal the European Communities Act and provide certainty for individuals and businesses.”

A new Immigration Bill will allow the Government to end the EU’s rules on free movement of EU nationals in the UK and make the migration of EU nationals and their families subject to UK law once Brexit has happened, while still “allowing the UK to attract the brightest and the best”, according to the Government.

The Government’s plans around technical education are included. It will introduce 15 technical education routes, including “T-levels”, based on standards designed by employers and grouping together occupations where there are shared training requirements.

Each route would allow progression from Level 2, equivalent to GCSE, to level 5, the Higher National Diploma-equivalent for college-based students, and to level 7 for apprenticeships.

There is no mention of race pay gap reporting in the the Government’s plans.

The Queen said: “My Government will make further progress to tackle the gender pay gap and discrimination against people on the basis of their race, faith, gender, disability or sexual orientation,” but no detail is included on an ethnicity equivalent to gender pay gap reporting.

Reacting to this, diversity campaigner Prof. Binna Kandola, said: “The Government must also recognise that issues of gender and race cannot be treated separately.

“To close the gender pay gap, we must examine the race pay gap and recognise that these issues exist in the context of intersectionality. You can’t tackle the former without acknowledging the latter.”

The Government document detailing elements of the Queen’s speech also alluded to the outcome of Matthew Taylor’s ongoing review of employment practices, saying it is “an important step towards us ensuring fairness for everyone in work and we look forward to receiving the report shortly”.

Taylor has previously hinted at a new right to request fixed hours for workers on zero-hours contracts; and also a possible higher minimum wage for hours worked under zero-hours contracts.

The national living wage would continue to increase to 60% of median earnings by 2020 (currently forecast to be £8.75) but, after that, it will only increase in line with average earnings.

The Tory manifesto included plans to extend protections under the Equality Act 2010  to mental health conditions that are episodic and fluctuating – currently, conditions need to be long term, lasting 12 months or more. However, there is no mention of this in the legislative plan outlined by Government today.

Since securing a reduced majority for her party in the general election, Theresa May has been urged to scrap the public sector 1% pay cap, but the Government has not included any plans to do so in the legislative programme.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The Queen’s Speech makes vague promises but says nothing about the changes working people need right now – like banning zero hours contracts or making gig economy employers treat their workers fairly.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Nor is there anything in this Queen’s Speech to end the year-on-year real-terms pay cuts… Workers’ rights will be put at risk by the Great Repeal Bill. It will allow ministers to bypass parliament and erode rights that come from the EU – like paid holiday and protections for part-time and agency workers. The bill must contain a specific provision to stop ministers going back and undermining the rights of working people.”

This article was first published at 13:40 on 21 June 2017 and is being updated as detail emerges.

Rob Moss

Rob Moss is a business journalist with more than 25 years' experience. He has been editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He joined the publication in 2006 as online editor of the award-winning website. Rob specialises in labour market economics, gender diversity and family-friendly working. He has hosted hundreds of webinar and podcasts. Before writing about HR and employment he ran news and feature desks on publications serving the global optical and eyewear market, the UK electrical industry, and energy markets in Asia and the Middle East.

previous post
Grant Thornton tops Government’s new social mobility index
next post
Three ways to prevent communication breakdown in teams

You may also like

MPs demand Home Office tighten visas to protect...

4 Jul 2025

How can HR prepare for changes to the...

3 Jul 2025

Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for Employment Rights Bill

2 Jul 2025

Ethnicity and disability pay gaps: Ready to report?...

1 Jul 2025

Government moves swiftly on immigration reform

1 Jul 2025

One in eight senior NHS managers from black...

1 Jul 2025

Employers’ duty of care: keeping workers safe in...

27 Jun 2025

Progressive DEI policy is a red line for...

27 Jun 2025

When will the Employment Rights Bill become law?

26 Jun 2025

Employee ownership rockets in past decade

25 Jun 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+