There are many aspects to employment law that will be changing from 2014, and some changes are already taking place. It is vital for employers to know of these changes and enact them precisely. Failure to do so may constitute a breach of the legal requirements and could result in legal action or financial penalties being levied against your business.
As a result it’s very important to be aware of how the changes in the law will affect you and your employees. Take note of this important employment law advice and call us for free help if you have any questions on 0845 004 6983.
Ask Yourself, “What Is Minimum Wage Now”?
Well, do you know? On October 1st 2013 it rose to £6.31 per hour for adults. This is important to know as the National Minimum Wage (NMW) is required for compliance with employment law. There are several consequences of not complying;
One of the most significant is that under the new changes there will be a process of naming and shaming. As part of the National Minimum Wage rise there will be public disclosures of companies not complying with the law. This can negatively affect your reputation as your company may publicly be considered a rogue business.
You will also face financial penalties if you don’t comply with the new NMW rules.
Flexible Working
Another important change to managing people will come in spring 2014, when employees will have the right to request flexible working. This will mean that employers will have to show that they have considered requests in a reasonable way. Employers will have to consider the following rules;
- Employers will have a statutory duty to consider applications
- The request may cover hours of work, times of work and place of work
- Businesses will have the right to refuse requests on business grounds
The right to request flexible work is an upcoming change that all employers should prepare for, as not pursuing the correct procedures may constitute a breach of employment law.
Sickness At Work
In Spring 2014 there will be several changes that will alter the way employers must manage sickness at work. Managing sickness is never an easy thing to do, but it’s a necessary component of being an employer.
After a comprehensive review, there has been a government response that will change the sickness absence systems in Great Britain. Most notably the health and work assessment and advisory service will be introduced. This is intended to provide free occupational assistance for both employers and employees.
Some notes from this review to be aware of include that the existing tax relief on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPS) and the Percentage Threshold Scheme will be abolished – this will significantly impact Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
Parental Leave
In 2015 there will be changes to parental leave that will have some impact on employers. These changes include;
- Flexible Parental Leave – Parents will be able to choose how they share the care for their child until they are 1 year old. This means parents will be able to end maternity leave and share parental leave
- Parental Leave Extension – The right for parental leave will be extended to any child aged under 18 years
- Surrogate Parents & Adoption Leave – Eligible parents who have a child through surrogacy will be able to take ordinary paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave. Parents will also be able to take unpaid time off to attend 2 antenatal appointments.
The changes to parental leave are very important for employers to know about as they are expanding and therefore a larger amount of employees will potentially be eligible for leave. As a result, employee handbooks will need to be updated as these policies should be clearly illustrated by employers to their staff.
Staying On Top Of Employment Law Changes From 2014
There are a huge amount of different changes to employment law, and at times they can be difficult to manage as an employer.
Whether you’re concerned with contracts of employment, HR help, disciplinary procedure information, making redundancies, health and safety or anything else we can help you at Employer Advice.
Call now for free expert advice on 0161 115 6164
