January 2, 2024
Our award-winning Employment Law team outlines 9 key employment law changes (2024) that will come into force and set out some reasonable steps that employers should take to comply with them.
For workers who work irregular hours, employers will now be entitled to pay rolled-up holiday pay. Employers will also be able to calculate workers’ holiday entitlement based on 12.07% of the hours worked by a worker and to pay holiday pay at 12.07% of the salary received by a worker. These rules will also apply to part year workers. Read more on holiday entitlement and rolled-up holiday pay in one of our employment law guide to the see the changes here.
Our top tip
Check your contracts for casual workers as you and other eligible workers may need to consult with workers about amending them when considering holiday pay.
From October 2024, a greater duty will be placed on employers to demonstrate that they have taken steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. The Equality Act already acts to uplift sexual harassment compensation in Employment Tribunal claims. However, the new rules will go further by placing a proactive duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Our top tip
Employers will need to show that they are more proactive in taking reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. Training of staff will become more important, as will updating and enforcing policies relating to sexual harassment and discrimination.
From summer 2024, there is new legislation due to come into force which will mean that workers who work irregular or unpredictable hours will be able to make a formal request for a more predictable working pattern – see our news insight on this topic here.
Our top tip
Plan ahead by putting a written policy in place to ensure that you deal with all requests consistently.
Later in 2024, the period of time during which employees on maternity leave (or returning from maternity leave) should be offered suitable alternative employment when their role is at risk of redundancy will increase to up to 18 months starting from when the child is born. In addition, pregnant employees will have the same protection before starting their maternity leave – giving some employees up to 2 years of additional protection against redundancy in total.
Our top tip
Update your Maternity Policy and be aware of this change before starting any redundancy process.
Likely from 1 April 2024, a new Act will give all employees the right to take up to one week of unpaid leave every year to care for a dependant. We cover this topic in greater detail here.
Our top tip
Put in place a new Carer’s Leave Policy which is compliant with the new Act. Get in touch for help with this.
From summer 2024, employees will have the right to request flexible working from the first day of their employment (rather than having to wait until they’ve been with their employer for 6 months). Employees will also be able to make 2 flexible working requests every year (up from 1 flexible working request currently) and employers will have 2 months (down from 3 months currently) to deal with these flexible working requests. These changes will make it easier for employees to request flexible working. Find out more about the new laws relating to the right to request flexible working here.
Our top tip
Update your Flexible Working Policy to reflect the new rights and communicate those changes to staff.
From 1 July 2024, employers with fewer than 50 employees will no longer need to appoint employee representatives when they consult about a TUPE transfer (and neither will larger employers if fewer than 10 employees are to be transferred).
Our top tip
If you know you’ll be involved in any TUPE transfers this year, plan your processes with this change in mind.
Later in 2024, parents of children receiving neonatal care will have a new right to take up to 12 weeks of leave.
Our top tip
Put in place a new Neonatal Care Leave Policy which is compliant with the new right. Get in touch for help with this.
From 1 April 2024, the national living wage will increase by almost 10% from £10.42 to £11.44 per hour.
Our top tip
Crunch the numbers right now to see how this may affect you. Communicate any wage increases in writing to employees.
There could also be a general election in 2024. Read here for our thoughts on what a change in Government could mean for UK employment law.
In addition to the above changes, we have also outlined upcoming changes to paternity leave here. Under the new changes, new fathers and partners of people due to give birth (or adopt a child) will be able to take their paternity leave at any time in the first year after the child’s birth or adoption. This is another example of strengthening family leave rights.
If you need any advice or further details on any of the employment law changes, then please contact a member of our employment law team in confidence here or on 029 2082 9100 for a free initial call to see how they can help.
