Thank you to our expert panel:
- Sarah lee, Employment Partner, BPE Solicitors – sarah.lee@bpe.co.uk
- Piers Norton, Coronation Wealth – piers.t.norton@sjpp.co.uk
- Francesca Wild, The Early Careers Group – francesca@earlycareerscompany.com
Watch the recording of the session:
Early Careers Company Bloomberg Article on Social Mobility: https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2022-11-30/the-early-careers-group-focuses-on-social-mobility-and-launches-a-new-collaborative-service-line-social-mobility-audits?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=mobile_web_share
EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE – RECENT CHANGES AND GUIDANCE
Sarah Lee, Employment Partner, BPE Solicitors
Changes to statutory and other rates:
From April 2023, a number of statutory and other rates increased including:
* National living and national minimum wage
* Statutory family related pay (i.e. maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and
parental bereavement)
* Statutory sick pay
* The limit on a week’s pay for the purposes of unfair dismissal and redundancy
* The cap on a compensatory award for unfair dismissal claims
* The Vento bands which are used by Tribunals when making injury to feelings awards
in discrimination claims
Please refer to BPE’s Employment Fact Card which details those rates and contains other
useful information: Blue and White Professional Interior Design Trifold Brochure (bpe.co.uk)
ACAS Guidance on Reasonable Adjustments for Mental Health
ACAS has recently launched new guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health at
work for both employers and workers, in conjunction with Affinity Health at Work. This can be
accessed here:
New Government guidance for employers on ethnicity pay reporting, 17 April 2023
Although ethnicity pay reporting is voluntary, many employers are already reporting on
ethnicity pay data or are planning to start doing so. As such, the guidance- on how to measure,
report on and address any ethnicity pay differences within the workforce- will be useful. It can
be accessed here: Ethnicity pay reporting: guidance for employers – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Updated statutory guidance for gender pay gap reporting
The Government Equalities Office has published new statutory guidance for employers on
gender pay gap reporting (mandatory for employers with at least 250 employees). This can
be accessed here: Gender pay gap reporting: guidance for employers – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
UPCOMING / POTENTIAL CHANGES
Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill
This Bill is seeking to extend protection from redundancy during and after periods of maternity,
adoption or shared parental leave and to extend the protected period for redundancy to 6
months after the end of pregnancy.
It is now having its third reading at the House of Lords: Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament
Carer’s Leave Bill
If enacted, this will entitle all unpaid carers to one week’s unpaid leave a year to deal with
caring responsibilities.
This is now having its third reading at the House of Lords: Carer’s Leave Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament
Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
If enacted, this contentious Bill would allow the government to make regulations setting
minimum service levels during a strike in key areas such as health, transport, education and
fire and rescue.
This is at Report stage in the House of Lords: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament
Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill
This is seeking to introduce up to 12 weeks’ leave and pay for employees with responsibility
for children receiving neonatal care, as long as they meet the qualifying criteria.
The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Lords on 24 March and has now reached
Committee stage: Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament
Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill
This Bill intends to introduce key amendments to the Equality Act 2010 to enhance employees’
protection from harassment in the course of their employment by increasing employers’
obligations in this area.
This has reached Committee stage in the House of Lords: Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament
Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill
If passed, it will amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 to give workers and agency workers
the right to request a predictable work pattern in some circumstances.
This has now reached its second reading in the House of Lords: Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament
Potential future changes to whistleblowing law?
The Government launched a review of the current whistleblowing regime on 27 March, which
will investigate whether the current whistleblowing framework is operating effectively and
protects those who report wrongdoing in the workplace: Government reviews whistleblowing laws – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Increased future protection for individuals with autism?
On 2 April 2023, the Government announced the Buckland Review of Autism Employment.
This will ask businesses, employment organisations, specialist support groups and autistic
people to help identify the barriers to securing and retaining work, and progressing with their
careers, in order to boost the employment prospects of autistic people:
New review to boost employment prospects of autistic people – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Increased future protection for those with long Covid?
On 27 March, the TUC and Long Covid Support Employment Group issued their report on
Workers’ experience of Long Covid which can be accessed here:
Workers’ experience of Long Covid | TUC
Following the report’s findings, the TUC and LCSEG are calling for the Government to
introduce additional measures to help those affected by long Covid
