On 8 June, it will be the UK’s turn to decide who should be in government once again.
A snap general election means there can be less time for your business to prepare, but don’t panic! Based on information available so far, here’s a quick summary of what recruiters need to know.
Election timetable
This week, on 3 May, Parliament rose, which means the official election campaigning is underway. It may feel like it had started already but believe me, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Over the long weekend, Labour released its 20-point plan for workers and on 8 May, the Conservatives will publish their manifesto pledges. We will be monitoring each set of manifesto pledges from the main political parties – we will respond and keep members informed via this blog series.
During this campaign period, known as purdah, we will hear less from the civil servants on day to day things like the Apprenticeship Levy, IR35 changes and the Matthew Taylor Review into Modern Employment Practices – but that does not mean to say there is any change in policy yet. Anything announced prior to the general election stays in place. If a new government decides to change policy once they are elected, we will, of course, let you know.
Advising your customers (internal and external!)
To inform and lead the political debate, we will shortly be publishing an update to our 2015 Manifesto for Jobs.
We will include recommendations for the Taylor Review, a new industrial and skills strategy and the Brexit negotiations. Once available, we will need your help to disseminate our recommendations.
But ahead of that, we also want your ideas:
What do you think should be the next government’s priorities to build the best jobs market in the world? How can we ensure policymakers see the value recruitment brings to the economy and to people every day?
Let us know at policy@rec.uk.com.
It is also worth thinking about if you have consistent advice for your staff on how they talk about the general election to clients, candidates and via social media. Now is the time to get a policy if you don’t have one already! You can also double check if your business may be subject to the Electoral Commission rules on general elections by looking at their website.
Finally, what about you?
Last but not least, it’s time to check on your own voting status. If you haven’t registered to vote, maybe because you moved house recently or have never voted before, there’s time – you have until 22 May. You may also want to register for a postal vote if you are away on 8 June.
Watch this space for more information – we will publish further blogs on the general election and what it means for recruiters over the next few weeks.
