16Jun
A wave of new employment legislation hit the UK from April 6, 2024, bringing about substantial changes to enhance employee rights. Let's delve into the key legislations poised to make a significant impact:
Employment Rights (Flexible Working) Act 2023:
- This groundbreaking law grants millions of UK workers greater control over their work arrangements.
- Employees can now request flexible working from day one of employment, spanning part-time, term-time, flexitime, compressed hours, and varied working locations.
- Employers are obligated to provide reasons for rejecting flexible working requests, marking a departure from the previous practice of non-explanatory refusals.
- Response times for such requests are shortened to two months, and employees can make two statutory requests within any 12-month period.
2. Carer’s Leave Act 2023:
- Addressing the needs of employees with caring responsibilities, this Act introduces unpaid leave as a day-one right.
- Applicable to those caring for a spouse, civil partner, child, parent, or dependant requiring care due to disability, old age, or illness, the leave can be up to one week per year.
- While employers cannot outright deny carer's leave requests, they have the option to postpone if deemed necessary to avoid undue disruption. 3. Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023:
- Pregnant employees and those recently returning from maternity or adoption leave now receive special protection during redundancy situations.
- This legislation ensures priority status for these employees, safeguarding their position in redundancy processes.
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