With everything else that’s going on at the moment it is easy to forget about the employment law changes which came into force in April. As a reminder, here are some of the key changes:
- Change to the rules regarding written particulars of employment (e.g. the employment contract). The written statement must now be provided on day one of employment to ALL employees and workers and must include more matters such as training entitlement, all benefits and details of paid leave. See our previous blog here for more information on this.
- Increase to National Minimum Wage, National Living Wage, Statutory Sick Pay and Statutory Maternity/Adoption/Paternity/Shared Parental Pay rates, as well as the rates applicable for some Tribunal awards. For information on all of these new rates please see our facts and figures page here.
- Change to the reference period for determining a week’s pay (for holiday pay purposes) from 12 weeks to 52 weeks (or number of weeks worked if shorter). See our previous blog here for more information on where we are now with calculating holiday pay.
- Lowering of the threshold required for a request to set up an information and consultation arrangement from 10% to 2% of employees (subject to the existing minimum of 15 employees). See our previous blog on this here.
- Removal of the Swedish derogation principle for agency workers to give agency workers pay parity with permanent workers after 12 weeks. See our previous blog on this here.
- Introduction of new Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay. See our previous blog on this here.
Thankfully, the new rules relating to IR35 (see our previous blog here for a summary of the new rules and tips to get prepared) were delayed for a year, in light of the coronavirus, to assist businesses during this difficult time.