New Year Resolutions for the Workplace

The Helens

The Helens

Aaaaannnnnd breath.

It’s over. You survived. Possibly only just, but we survived. Well done us.  Aren’t we great.

And now it’s time to look at the year ahead.

Here’s a brief reminder about the changes to employment legislation that were announced last October:

2024 Changes

New Rules Around Flexible Working Requests

Since April 2024, employees can apply for flexible working from their first day on the job, eliminating the previous requirement of 26 weeks of service.

Additionally, employees can make up to two flexible working requests per year, compared to the previous limit of one.

Paternity Leave

Since April 2024, employees taking paternity leave have been able to take it as either a block of two weeks or two separate blocks of a week each, instead of a single period of either one or two weeks.

Leave can be taken within 52 weeks of birth or adoption (previously, it had to be taken in the first 8 weeks).

The Carers Leave Act 2023

This came into force in April 2024 and gives a new day-one right for all employees to take up to one working week of unpaid carer’s leave per 12 months to provide or arrange for care for a dependant with a long-term care need.

Pro-active Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment at Work

From October 26th, 2024, The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 introduced a proactive duty for all UK employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. 

Employers are required to assess potential risks, including those in offsite environments like conferences, and implement policies and procedures to mitigate these risks. Additionally, they must establish precise reporting mechanisms, ensuring incidents can be reported confidentially and addressed promptly.

2025/26 Changes (dates TBC)

Day one rights for right to claim unfair dismissal

This will mean employees will not have to wait for a two-year qualifying period to be protected from unfair dismissal.

However, employers can dismiss the employee for specific reasons during a probationary period – the exact terms of which have yet to be defined although the Government have suggested they’re considering implementing a 9mts statutory probation period.

Although this will be a significant change for employers, it is not one which will happen quickly. The Government is very clear that “reforms of unfair dismissal will take effect no sooner than autumn 2026”. Until that point the current two-year qualifying period will continue to apply.

Statutory sick pay (SSP)

Employees will be entitled to sick pay from the first day of illness, removing the current three-day waiting period. Furthermore, the minimum earnings threshold of £123 per week will be eliminated, allowing even low-paid workers who earn below this amount to qualify for SSP, albeit at a lower rate.

Redundancy Consultation

Redundancy thresholds will be based on the entire business rather than individual locations. This change will ensure that all employees affected by redundancies are included in the consultation process.

Parental and Paternity Leave

The Employment Rights Bill will remove the qualifying service requirement for paternity leave (currently 26 weeks) and unpaid parental leave (currently one year). Both will become day one rights.

Bereavement Leave

Current provisions on parental bereavement leave will be extended beyond parents to create a general right to bereavement leave. It will be confirmed in later regulations what conditions about relationship will apply to this leave. Leave will remain as two weeks following the death of a child and will be one week for any other bereavement.

If you need to update your policies, require a Sexual Harassment Assessment form or would like to know if you’re compliant contact us at thehelens@complexhr.co.uk

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