The Chartered Management Institute responds to the King's Speech

In reaction to the UK Government’s plans to implement the New Deal for Working People, Anthony Painter, Director of Policy at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said:

Despite the ire of some in the business community, the Labour Government’s plans to strengthen workers’ rights by implementing the New Deal for Working People reflects what many employers are already doing to make work more flexible and secure.

Research from my organisation — the Chartered Management Institute — finds widespread support for the proposals in Labour’s Bill. In our polling of over 1,000 UK managers, 83% said they believed improving workers’ rights can positively impact workplace productivity, with solid support for flexible working, enhanced family-friendly policies, and action plans to eliminate gender, ethnicity, and disability inequalities.

This doesn’t have to be about lecturing business. It is about a future government and the business community partnering to enhance productivity by raising standards and improving employee well-being. Our country needs skilled managers who understand that employees who feel trusted and respected are easier to recruit and retain and, ultimately, will deliver better outcomes for their employers.

In reaction to the UK Government’s plans to create a new skills body, Anthony Painter, Director of Policy at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said:

It is very encouraging that the new skills body, Skills England, will address skills gaps at all ages, in all communities and sectors of the economy at its core. Ultimately, our mission as a country has to be one of mass upskilling. Without this, at every age and level, growth will be held back and our public services will struggle. We look forward to seeing Skills England established as the dynamic change body that will massively raise the UK's game on skills. Individuals, employers and communities need to be brought together to achieve this step change that the country needs.