Struggling to Understand the Employment Rights Bill?

The Biggest Changes to Employment Law in a Generation

On the 13th June 2024, Labour announced their plans to 'Make Work Pay'. The Employment Rights Bill is set to make 28 changes to the existing employment law. Designed to deliver economical security, and growth to businesses, workers and communities.

These changes will impact employers up and down the country, and getting these changes wrong could land you in a costly employment tribunal claims with the average cost of £11,914.

Our employment law experts are on hand to help you navigate the new changes and ensure that your business is remaining compliant.

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Some of the changes include:

These changes are part of the first phase of the new Employment Rights Bill, more has been announced to form part of the Governments longer-term visions.

Strengthened Existing Rights. This will build upon maternity and redundancy rights.
Ending fire and rehire schemes. This reform will implement 'effective remedies against abuse and replace the inadequate statutory code.'
Ban on exploitative zero hour contracts. Employers will be obligated to offer their employees regular hours. Including providing reasonable notice and compensation for shift changes or cancelations.
Flexible working for all. Labour have announced that employees will be able to request a four day week will be a day one right.
Introduction of basic rights from Day One.
Extended probation periods. This will allow employers to carry out thorough assessments on new employees.
Improved sick pay rights. They've proposed removing the lower earning limit (LEL) and waiting period for sick pay.
Legal protection for pregnant women. The change will make it unlawful to dismiss a pregnant woman during and in the six months following her maternity.

Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment

The 26th October saw the introduction of the Workers Protection act, where employers will be obligated to take proactive steps to preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.

The introduction of the act gives the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) the power to enforce duties places on employers, as well as the following.

Investigate breaches and potential breaches.
Require employers to prepare an action plan to amend and prevent future breaches by serving notices.
Require employers to be legally bound by agreements to take steps to address issues regarding discrimination or harassment.
Restrain employers from committing unlawful acts by seeking injunctions

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Tronc Scheme

The TRONC scheme came into place on the 1st October 2024, meaning that if your business receives tips or gratuities, you will need to re-evaluate your processes.

As an employer, you will be required to implement a written policy outlining the allocation of qualifying tips, and how your business will distribute them between the employees.

Employers will also need to keep a written record on how they have allocated the tips. Your employees will be able to request the information about tips every three months.

Failing to provide the information and fairly allocating tips, could land your business in an employment tribunal.

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Want to understand what the Employment Rights Bill means for you?

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