I’ve been asked several times about employment law changes happening this year that could affect your business if you have staff. Lots of these kick in from April, so give us a shout if you need more information, or need help implementing them:
1️⃣ Extended Redundancy Protection for Pregnant Staff (April 2024):
Pregnant employees will receive extended legal protection from redundancy, similar to those on maternity leave.
2️⃣ Paternity Leave (April 2024):
The Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024 allow fathers or partners to divide their statutory paternity leave into one-week blocks rather than taking it all at once.
3️⃣ Flexible Working Requests (April 2024):
Employees will have the right to make flexible working requests from their first day of employment. Employers will be required to consult with employees on their requests and make decisions within two months.
4️⃣ Statutory Carer’s Leave (April 2024):
Employees will have the right to take statutory carer’s leave from their first day on the job to care for a dependent with long-term care needs. This leave is unpaid and must be requested with advance notice.
5️⃣ Changes to Holiday Pay Calculations (April 2024):
Businesses will be able to provide rolled-up holiday pay for irregular hour workers, using the 12.07% accrual method.
6️⃣ National Minimum Wage Rises (April 2024):
Changes to national minimum wage rates will affect workers of different age groups.
And there’s more on the horizon:
7️⃣ Ban on Withholding Tips (July 2024):
Employers in the hospitality industry will be prohibited from withholding tips from workers and must have a fair allocation policy in place.
8️⃣ Predictable Working Patterns (Expected September 2024):
Certain workers, including zero-hour workers and those on fixed-term contracts, will have the right to request more predictable working patterns after 26 weeks of service.
9️⃣ Statutory Neonatal Care Leave (Expected October 2024):
Parents or caregivers of babies in neonatal care will be entitled to additional leave on top of maternity and paternity leave.
🔟 Proactive Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment (Expected October 2024):
Employers will be required to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, including having policies and providing training.
So, to get ready for these changes:
⭐ Review your procedures related to leave, flexible working, harassment, redundancy, and tips.
⭐ Update your policies and employee handbooks to reflect the new legal requirements.
⭐ Create new policies and clear reporting procedures for staff.
⭐ Offer training to ensure compliance with the law.
⭐ Update your software to manage requests for new types of leave.
Or give Buzzqube a buzz and we’ll do it all for you 🤩 info@buzzqube.com
Angela Rieu-Clarke, MD, Buzzqube
