While it’s important to consider all the things you need to do to make you an attractive employer to the right candidates, the first thing you need to do is to make sure you are compliant with the law.
With the upcoming changes to employment law coming in April 2024, we thought we’d take a look at what’s changing and how it could affect you.
Changes to flexible working requests
We’ve spoken in the past about how important flexible working has become to candidates and the need to review your flexible working policies.
Now is the time to make sure you have those policies in place and your management are up to date and trained on how to handle requests in line with the regulations.
A good flexible working policy means you are better able to attract great candidates, and without one, you might just find yourself on the wrong side of new legislation. The changes being made mean employees can request flexible working from day one and can make 2 requests a year. They don’t need to make a business case for it, and you must respond within 2 months. You also need to consult with them before rejecting requests.
Changes to paternity leave entitlements
Making sure that dads can take time out when there’s a new addition to their family is really important. You’ll probably have a great paternity leave policy in place already, but you’ll need to be aware of the changes that have come into place recently.
From April 2024, paternity leave can be taken as two consecutive weeks or two separate blocks of one week to be taken within 52 weeks from birth (or placement for adoption).
The notice of entitlement should be given on or before the 15th week before expected week of birth.
Four weeks’ notice will be required to take each period of leave (except cases of domestic adoption where notice is seven days). Employees may give 28 days’ notice to vary the date of their planned leave if desired. Paternity leave pay has also increased from £172.48 to £184.03
More protection against redundancy during pregnancy, maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
Another of your policies that you’ll need to revisit is redundancy. Pregnant employees and those returning from maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave will now have extra protections against redundancy. The redundancy protection period is extended until 18 months after the birth of a child for employees returning from family-friendly leave.
New carer’s leave entitlement
You may also need to update your current time off work policy, or create a separate carer’s leave policy. Employees will have this right from day one and take up to one week of unpaid leave per year.
Employees can take their full entitlement of a week in one go, or at different periods as long as they take at least half their working day each time.
Employees can use this leave to care for a dependent that needs long-term care.
Long-term care needs are defined as an illness or injury that lasts longer than three months, has a disability covered in the Equality Act 2010, or due to old age. In some circumstances, you may be able to postpone a period of carer’s leave.
Changes to holiday calculations
Another area of employment law to be updated are laws on how to calculate holiday entitlement, while pay for irregular hours workers and part-year staff is also changing.
The new rules only apply from the start of the first new leave year on or after 1 April 2024.
There are two methods available: the default method or rolled up holiday method.
If you have a leave year running from January to December, the new rules will apply from January 2025.
If these new rules are different to what you already have in place, this will be a change to your employee’s terms and conditions and their contract of employment.
Increase to the National Living Wage and statutory payments
The threshold for National Living Wage will be lowered to include 21-year-olds.
The new National Living Wage rate will be £11.44 per hour; £8.60 for those aged 18 – 20; £6.40 for those over school age but not yet 18, and apprentice rate.
Payments for Statutory Sick Pay will increase from £109.40 to £116.75 per week from 6 April 2024.
Payments for Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, and Statutory Bereavement Pay all increase from £172.48
to £184.03 per week from 7 April 2024.
Don’t worry
We know this is all a lot to take in. With so many policy changes happening at once, it’s worth reminding you that we’re always here to help when you need us, and we work with some excellent HR companies who can help you to navigate the new legislation. Get in touch for more information.