Employment Rights Bill

Employment Rights Bill

Details of Employment Law Reforms

The Government has announced details of the Employment Rights Bill which will bring forward 28 individual employment law reforms. It is also expected that the Government will publish plans for employment legislation that it intends to implement in the future to include the new “Right to Switch Off” outside of working hours and a commitment to end pay discrimination.

The Government has stated that their Bill will include the following:

• Unfair dismissal will be a day one right. Thus, employers will need to have a good reason to dismiss employees within the first two years of employment.
• The Government will consult on statutory probationary period which may involve following a minimum procedure when assessing the suitability of new employees.
• An end to “exploitative” zero-hour contracts. Employees on zero hours contracts will be provided the right to guaranteed hours contract if they work regular hours over a defined period.
• The end of the fire and rehire practices.
• Employees will be entitled to statutory sick pay from day one and not day four.
• The Introduction to rights to paternity, unpaid parental and bereavement leave from day one.
• Amendments to flexible working to strengthen it by making it the default where this is ‘practical’.
• Employers will be required to have action plans addressing gender pay gaps and supporting employees through menopause.
• A strengthening of protections for pregnant women and new mothers to include protection from dismissal throughout their pregnancy, maternity leave and within six months of returning to work.
• The establishment of a new enforcement agency, the Fair work agency, the repeal of the Minimum Service Levels legislation that was introduced by the previous Government to address or repay by taking into account cost of living in relation to minimum wage as well as removing discriminatory age bands.

We now await further details on the measures contained within the Employment Bill and the future developments in employment law.

Click here for the Press Release.

If you have any enquiries, contact Annalie King or Rosie Brighty by telephone at Kerseys Solicitors in Colchester 01206 584584, Kerseys Solicitors in Ipswich 01473 213311 or Kerseys Solicitors in Felixstowe on 01394 834557 or please email Annalie King at [email protected].

Kerseys Solicitors are just a click away visit our website and click “Call Me Back” and a member of our Employment Law team will be happy to contact you at a time that is convenient to you.