Is there a sick note culture in the UK?
On Friday 19 April, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced intentions to tackle, what he believes, to be a sick note culture in the UK. But is this an accurate reflection? The reality of sickness absence It is a topic of debate reflecting attitudes towards the legitimacy of sickness absence, but it shouldn’t be […]
Employment Law Timetable
In this article we provide an employment law timeline, and include details of proposed developments that businesses need to be aware of in the months ahead. Confirmed New Employment Legislation – in order of commencement date Expected late 2023 – The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was […]
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023
Last month, the Government announced how it will legislate reforms to both the Working Time Regulations (WTR) and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. This follows recent public consultations in which the government sought views on matters such as the management of annual leave entitlement and pay, irregular hour and part year […]
Employment Bills – A-Z for employers
There are several Bills which are likely to impact employers over the coming months. Here we provide an A-Z guide on each of the Bills to help you to easily navigate the changes which may impact your organisation. If you require support with updating your company handbook and policies, our expert team can provide ongoing […]
Are you ready for the latest developments in Employment Law Bills?
In our virtual Employment Law Seminar, we predicted that 2023 would be a big year for developments in employment law, and already we have seen the introduction of the Seafarers Wages Act 2023 and the Employment Allocation of Tips Act 2023, and many of the pending employment bills progressing through parliament swiftly. In the latest […]
Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023
Legislation has been passed that gives workers the right to be given tips, gratuities, and service charges in full, i.e., with no deductions for processing fees and for tips etc., to be allocated fairly. The Employment (allocation of tips) Bill was given Royal Assent on 2 May 2023 and as expected, it becomes the Employment […]
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill – Consultation on Reforms
As part of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, the Government is proposing to reform the Working Time Regulations, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations and rules on Holiday Pay. We provide a detailed update on this Bill in May’s Recent and Future Changes Newsletter, in which we reported that the […]
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill – what is it likely to mean for employers?
What is the Bill about? The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is a proposed UK law that would repeal the European Communities Act 1972. This Act currently provides for the implementation of EU law in the UK. However when the UK left the European Union, the UK and the EU signed the 2018 […]
Employment law – what to expect in 2023
Over the last few years, other than legislation relating to the Coronavirus, there has been little development in employment law. 2023 however, we are expecting to see the biggest change to employment legislation in decades following the introduction into parliament of the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill. This Bill along with other Bills […]
Retained EU Law Reform Bill: Latest Update
Last month we created a dedicated content hub for all of the updates regarding the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill. The Bill had its second reading as part of the parliamentary process on 25 October 2022 and is now subject to the Committee Stage. The Commitee Stage It is at this stage where […]
Additional May Bank Holiday Announced for UK
The Government has announced that there is to be an additional bank holiday on Monday 8 May 2023 in honour of His Majesty King Charles III Coronation, which is taking place on Saturday 6 May. The Prime Minister has confirmed that it will take place across the UK with the aim of providing families and […]
Immigration Update
You will be aware from our previous immigration updates that under the skilled worker visa, there is a classification system that defines the standard occupation codes and a shortage occupation list (SOL). These codes are a common classification of occupational information and apply to occupations on the SOL. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) ensures that […]
Managing in a recession
Now the UK has a new Prime Minister, we can expect to hear more over the coming weeks about the Government’s response to the cost of living crisis, following the announcement of Liz Truss’ emergency plan with the energy prices. We already have indications as to what other steps Liz Truss may take because of […]
5-point plan for preparing for rising COVID levels
It has been five months since the Government announced the end of all COVID-19 restrictions. The message at that point was that the responsibility for how to live with the virus would be placed on individuals and businesses moving forward, rather than the government enforcing COVID interventions. According to data this week from the ZOE […]
Will the changes in Westminster impact businesses and employment?
We now know that Boris Johnson is standing down as the leader of the Conservative Party following mass resignations from both cabinet members and ministers. We are also seeing changes being made to who occupies which cabinet roles as well as within government departments, and no doubt, we can expect further changes in the future, […]
More healthcare professionals given powers to sign Fit Notes
From 1 July 2022, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists will be able to certify fit notes – something that before that date only GPs or hospital doctors could legally do. Note that as fit notes can only be issued following an assessment of a person’s fitness for work, they cannot be issued on request […]
What has happened to the Employment Bill?
The Queen’s Speech in December 2019 announced a new Employment Bill, aimed at supporting workers and families by introducing measures which would encourage flexible working as well as support leave for those with caring responsibilities. However, with a global pandemic which then followed it meant that little progress was made in passing this Bill into […]
COVID – 19 – managing the workplace safely
The government’s COVID-19 announcement yesterday (21 February 2022) confirmed the end of all COVID-19 restrictions which will gradually take effect between now and 1 April. It will mean that moving forward the responsibility for how to live with the virus will be placed on individuals rather than the government and their interventions that we have […]
Outsource support with Right to Work and pre-employment DBS checks
Currently, employers may check the right to work online using the job applicants ‘share code’ or by checking the applicant’s original documentation. They may also use the Home Office’s Employer Checking Service to check an employee’s or job applicant’s immigration status. Positive feedback about the ability to make right to work checks remotely during the […]
The Health and Social Care Act 2008: Updated Regulations for 2022
COVID-19 mandatory vaccination regulations have now been introduced into the wider health and social care sector. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 were made on the 6 January 2022 and came into force on 7 January 2022. There is currently a grace period in place, giving […]