The Labour party made several announcements of interest at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, which took place in September 2019. The proposed reforms elaborate on promises made earlier this month at the TUC Congress where party leader Jeremy Corbyn pledged to create a new Ministry for Employment Rights and a Workers’ Protection Agency.
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a shortening of the working week to 32 hours, with “no loss of pay”, within ten years under a Labour government. He stated that working hour changes would be negotiated as part of plans to roll out collective bargaining schemes.
Additionally, shadow equalities minister announced plans to bolster workplace support for menopausal women, including the introduction of flexible hours and the requirement that managers in firms with over 250 employees receive training on the effects of the menopause to accommodate the needs of employees. Raising the status of menopause to that of a long-term fluctuating health condition was also discussed. These proposals follow data published by the CIPD that revealed three in five menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 55 say it has a negative impact on them at work.
