Employment Law Summary 2024

April

Flexible Working

• Becomes a day 1 of employment right

• 2 requests per year

• No longer need to provide impact to business and how to combat

• Consultation with requester before refusing

• 2 months to deal with requests

Holiday

• Alterations to holiday entitlement calculation and payment methods will be in effect.

• Employers will need to adjust their practices accordingly for part-year and irregular hours workers

Carer’s Leave

• Employee will have the right to take statutory carer’s leave from their first day

• Employees will qualify if they care for a dependent (anyone who relies on them for care) who has:o   a physical or mental illness or injury that means they’re expected to need care for more than 3 monthso   a disability (as defined in the Equality Act 2010)o   care needs because of old age

• Employees will be able to take a maximum of one week  of unpaid leave a year to look after someone who relies on them for care

• Leave can be taken flexibly with notice of double the amount of time requested or three days, whichever is longer

• Employers are unable to refuse carer’s leave but will be able to postpone it if the leave seriously disrupts business operations

Redundancy for Pregnant Employees

• Extra protection against redundancy for pregnant employees and through to 18 months after birth

• Also applies to Adoption and Shared Parental Leave

• Employers will need to take steps to help keep pregnant employees in work before anyone else

Paternity LeaveChanges to make Paternity leave more flexibleWill be available up to the end of the first year after birth or adoption

Statutory Pay Rates

• SSP - £116.75

• Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), Maternity Pay (SMP), Adoption Pay (SAP), Paternity Pay (SPP), Parental Bereavement Leave (SPBP) - £184.30

National Minimum Wage

• Under 18 - £6.40 per hour (up from £5.28)

• Aged 18-20 - £8.60 per hour (up from £7.49)

• Aged 21 and over (national living wage) - £11.44 per hour (up from £10.42)

Later in the Year

Statutory neonatal care leave (Proposed October)

• Max 12 weeks added to Maternity/Paternity Leave from day 1 of employment

• Paid at statutory rate if eligible

TUPE (July)

• Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be able to consult directly with employees

• Business of any size will be able to consult directly with employees where a transfer of fewer than 10 employees is proposed

• Only if no existing employee representative in place

Tips (July)

• Employers will not be able to keep any money staff receive as tips

• Policy will be needed on how  you intend to allocate tips to workers

Harassment (Late October)

• New proactive duty to prevent sexual harassment