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The Worker Protection Bill has been updated and new legislation comes into effect from October 2024 covering protection from harassment. Employment law specialist, Clare Thomas, talks through the new legislation and what it means for employers. What does Protection from Harassment legislation mean for employers? This new legislation means that workers will have protection from harassment – particularly sexual harassment – and employers will be duty-bound to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. In workplaces where sexual harassment thrives, this new legislation will be very welcomed. It marks a change in legislation from ‘redress’ to ‘prevention’,...
Millions of workers in the UK will have more flexibility over where and when they work as the Government announces new flexible working legislation which comes into effect on 6 April 2024. Under this new legislation, employees will have the right to request flexible working from day one of their employment. This is a significant change from current legislation which states that an employee must be employed for 26 weeks or more before being able to request to work flexibly. Clare Thomas, employment law specialist at B&P talks about the changes and what employers can do to prepare. Why is...
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Neonatal Care Act will be introduced to support employees who have a newborn baby receiving palliative or medical care. This means that it will be easier for employees to be granted Neonatal Leave and Neonatal Care Pay to look after their babies. The Neonatal Care Act received Royal Assent on 24 May 2023, and it is scheduled to come into force in April 2025. What will employees be entitled to? It is anticipated that employees who qualify for neonatal care will be offered the additional entitlement if their baby needs medical or palliative care...
The Employment Tribunal considered whether a university professor had been directly discriminated against, harassed and victimised for her gender-critical beliefs. The Employment Tribunal has affirmed the claims made by a former professor against her previous employer, the Open University. The allegations include direct discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and constructive dismissal based on her gender-critical beliefs. Her perspectives, such as asserting that a person cannot alter their biological sex and emphasising the distinction between sex and gender identity, met the Grainger criteria and were protected under the Equality Act 2010. Professor Phoenix expressed her gender-critical views by co-signing a letter to The...
What is the new National Minimum Wage, what will it mean for your business and how do you comply with the new legislation? We’ll tell you everything you need to know! In November 2023, the Government announced the largest ever increase in the National Living Wage. From 1 April 2024 the National Living Wage will increase by: 8% from £10.42 to £11.44 per hour for those aged 21 and over (previously those aged 23 and over) The National Minimum Wage will increase by: 8% to £8.60 per hour for those aged 18 – 20; 2% to £6.40 per hour for...
Currently there is no specific right for carers to take leave. However in 2023, the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 made provision for employees who have caring responsibilities to take at least one week of unpaid carer’s leave per year. This received Royal Assent on 24 May 2023 and is expected to become law from 6 April 2024. This means that carers will have a new statutory right to take at least one week of unpaid leave right from the beginning of when their employment starts. This will allow them to provide or arrange care for a long-term dependant. Who is...
Changes to Holiday Pay and other Employment Law changes 2024 There are some significant changes to holiday pay and employment law due in 2024. Is your business ready? In this blog, we talk about some of the changes in employment law that are coming into effect in 2024 and what employers need to do to prepare. Some of the first changes will impact holiday pay and annual leave, working time and rights/obligations under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). Holiday pay for irregular and part-year workers “Irregular hours workers” and “part-year workers” will be removed from...
Consultation for Acas new Code of Practice Acas has released a consultation regarding a fresh statutory Code of Practice concerning the management of requests for a predictable work schedule. This code will be implemented once the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act of 2023 is officially enacted. Following the enactment of the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023, expected to take effect around September 2024, Acas has initiated a consultation on a new statutory Code of Practice governing requests for predictable working patterns. This Act establishes a statutory right for workers and agency workers to request a predictable work...
BSI publishes new standard on menstruation, menstrual health, and menopause in the workplace The British Standards Institute (BSI) has published a new standard on menstruation, menstrual health, and menopause in the workplace – Menopause standard launched to help organizations support workers | BSI (bsigroup.com). Designed following an extensive public consultation and in conjunction with major employment organisations such as Acas and Unison, the report’s aim is to help employers support and retain employees experiencing issues connected to menstruation or the menopause. EAT rules on calculating accrued but untaken statutory holiday following termination of employment Connor v Chief Constable of the...
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