Employment law changes drive policy reviews
A local employment law specialist has warned employers that recent key changes in the legal rights of their employees could well mean that they need to review many of their policies.
Solicitor Shola Khan from Peterborough based Roythornes Solicitors gave the warning on the introduction of a number of changes to issues such as Paternity Leave, flexible working requests, Carer’s Leave, redundancy protection and compensation for damages. Speaking about the changes, Shola said:
“April is a month where employment changes are often introduced and this has been no exception. We’ve had a number of calls from local businesses looking for clarification on the new rules, and we’re busy redrafting many of their policies and handbooks as a result. For example, employees can now request to work flexibly from day one of their employment, and do not have to specify a reason for their request. This could have a serious impact on any business simply in the administration, consideration and processing of such requests.”
The other major change is the introduction of the Carers Leave Act which gives those who care for dependants the right to one weeks unpaid leave per 12 month. The employment law expert said this in itself was an important piece of legislation due to the ageing population:
“As the population gets older, more and more relatives are involved in the care of their families and introducing the right to some leave at what can be a stressful time can only be a good thing, but employers need to not only be aware of the new rules, but also to make sure their leave policies include the changes.”
Shola finished by reminding employer of the need to keep their policies up to date:
“Employment policies are one of those things that can sometimes get overlooked when businesses are working hard to survive, but they are very important as they form the basis of the relationship employers have with their employees and having then up to date can save both time and money in the long run – especially when issues arise. Any employer who has not reviewed their handbooks and policies in the last year or so should do so now.”
Full details of the changes can be found in Roythornes Employment law bulletin which is free to view here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/employment-law-update-april-2024-roythornes-xrnse/