Commenting on today’s Queen’s Speech, Ben Willmott Head of Public Policy for the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:

On the Employment Bill 

“We strongly welcome the ambition outlined in today’s Queen’s Speech to make Britain the best place in the world to work and particularly the key pledge to protect and enhance workers’ rights as we leave the EU. 

“As part of this focus on work, we strongly support proposals to boost the uptake of flexible working, introduce leave for unpaid carers and create a new £1 billion fund to help create more high-quality childcare. 

“Central to delivering on the Government’s ambition will be improving how employment rights are enforced and ensuring that the planned single enforcement body has the necessary resources to achieve this.”

On the Immigration Bill

“We look forward to working with the Government, drawing on the expertise of our members, to help develop a flexible, fair and user-friendly point-based immigration system. 

“It is important this new immigration system has the flexibility to enable employers to employ both skilled and unskilled migrant workers when they have been unable to find the people and skills they need despite their best efforts to recruit and train UK-born workers.”  

On skills

“The plan to create a £3bn National Skills Fund can go some way towards providing the necessary investment in lifelong learning which is such a key issue given our ageing workforce and the growing impact of new technology on employment and job. 

“However we also need to see reform of the Apprenticeship Levy to a more flexible training levy so it becomes more relevant and responsive to employers’ skill development needs.

“Finally, we are pleased there is a clear commitment to improve further and technical education and planned increases in funding in this area for 16-19 year-old education and in T levels.”

The CIPD Manifesto for Work 2020 was also launched last week, outlining four key areas in which the CIPD will work with the new government to champion good work:

1. Responsible and ethical business practices

2. The development of more inclusive and diverse workplaces

3. Skills, looking at how they are developed and utilised at work

4. Policy calls to improve employment relations and well-being

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