Quarterly Employment Law Update
October 2024

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The Employment Rights Bill 2024. What does it mean for your business?

Labour’s first 100 days in Government promised to bring about change, opportunity and flexibility for workers and employers, and last week the content of the Employment Rights Bill was been revealed.

💡What does it mean for you as a business?

⭐SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday 20th November 1-2pm. We’re hosting a free webinar with our friends at Lightfoots Solicitors to talk through the Bill and how it will impact business ⭐

The government is publishing a ‘Next Steps’ document that will outline the reforms it proposes for the future, subject to public consultation.

We’ve outlined some key takeaways around future change that you need to know. Many of the below measures could take years to be enacted but it is important to us that you have the information in your grasp.

As a strategic HR partner we’ll ensure, that when the time comes, we’ll support all our clients through this period of change.

The Employment Rights Bill – your key takeaways

• The existing two year qualifying period for protections from unfair dismissal will be removed, delivering on the manifesto commitment that a right to these protections will start from day one on the job. As part of this, the government will also consult on a new statutory probation period for new hires (predicted to be 9 months maximum)
• Intention to end exploitative zero hour contracts and fire and re-hire practices. For workers with with no or a low number of guaranteed hours, employers will be required to periodically make an offer of guaranteed hours. These guaranteed hours must reflect the days and times or working patterns that the employee has worked over a previous period (the precise duration of which is still to be determined) on terms that are no less favourable on the whole than the terms on which the employee was previously employed.
• Establishing day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave. Entitlement to these types of leave are granted from the first day of starting with a new employer.
• Statutory sick pay (SSP) will also be strengthened, removing the lower earnings limit for all workers (currently set at £123 per week), and withdrawing the waiting period before sick pay kicks in
• Flexible working is to be made the default where practical. Employers can only refuse a request if it is shown to not be reasonably feasible for the business.
• Requirement for large employers to create action plans on addressing gender pay gaps, highlighting how you aim to reduce any gender pay gaps, and supporting employees through the menopause.
• A commitment to expand the Equality (Race and Disparity) Bill to make it mandatory for large employers to report ethnicity and disability pay gaps
• Protections against dismissal will be strengthened for pregnant women and new mothers
• A right to switch off, preventing employees from being contacted out of hours, except in exceptional circumstances
• Reviews into parental and carers leave to ensure they deliver for employers, workers and their loved ones
• Address low pay by accounting for the cost of living when setting minimum wage rates and removing discriminatory age bands.

And finally… new legislation and what it means for you

October 26th marks The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 coming into effect. The Act places a new duty on all employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

Your business will need to show that it has taken all reasonable steps to prevent harassment. SYLO is here to support you and your team by understanding your responsibilities.

We will help you review and update your policies by tailoring them to your workplace, working together with you to effectively train your team about their duties and also providing clear examples of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

Get in touch today to ensure that you are providing the safest environment for your team. You can book a free consultation call here.

 

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