April is fast approaching and with that are some big employment law updates that employers need to take action on with their policies, processes, and documentation. We have covered many of the upcoming changes in previous articles, but the most pressing ones that you need to be aware of are summarised in this article.
From the 6th April 2024 employees are entitled (subject to eligibility) to one week’s unpaid leave in any 12-month period. This leave is for employees who care for dependents with long-term needs and is a day-one right.
Long-term needs are defined as:
A dependent is defined as:
a spouse, civil partner, child, or parent of the employee, someone who lives with the employee as part of their family or someone who can reasonably rely on the employee to provide or arrange care. It does not include tenants or boarders living in the family home, or someone who lives in the home as an employee, e.g. a live-in nanny.
This leave is unpaid, and there is no obligation to compensate employees. However, some businesses may choose to do so.
Employers need to ensure that they are aware of this day-one right. Handbooks, contracts of employment, and policies need to be updated to reflect the forthcoming addition to employees’ rights.
We recommend implementing a system to record and track how many days an employee has taken within the 12-month period.
The changes in the Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024 which will come into force on 8 March 2024 and will apply to babies whose expected week of birth begins after 6th April 2024 and to children whose expected week of adoption is on or after 6th April 2024.
The changes include more flexibility for parents taking paternity leave:
Employers need to ensure that they are aware of this day-one right. Handbooks, contracts of employment and policies need to be updated to reflect the forthcoming addition to employees’ rights. Line Managers should also be trained on the changes and any forms that employees are required to complete will need to be updated also.
At present, employees who are currently on maternity leave, shared parental leave or adoption leave have special protection in a redundancy situation.
However, from 6th April 2024 those employees who are pregnant and those who have recently returned from maternity, shared parental or adoption leave will now have this enhanced protection too.
These enhanced protections include:
Employers must ensure that management are trained on these enhanced protections, and when considering restructures or redundancies they are taking special consideration to those employees.
Along with Carer’s leave, updated paternity regulations and the extension of redundancy protection in pregnancy, and during/after maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, changes to Flexible Working rights will also come into place from 6th April 2024. This year certainly is showing a shift in improving the attitude towards work-life balance and gender equality.
Changes include:
Employers need to ensure that they are aware of this day-one right. Handbooks, contracts of employment and policies should be updated to reflect the forthcoming addition to employees’ rights. Line Managers should also be trained on the changes and any forms employees are required to complete will need to be updated also.
Head of Ops, Kendal Hulme, joined peopleHUB’s webinar in March and provided an detailed update on the changes mentioned above, plus many more that are upcoming in 2024. Kendal discussed when they will come into force and how employers should prepare. You can catch up on this webinar by clicking here.
To find out more information or if you require any advice surrounding these employment law updates, get in contact with our team of experts.
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