Changes to HR Legislation in April 2023 – Webinar Summary

Are you an employer in the UK? Are you aware of the upcoming employment law changes in 2023? If not, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! This article will cover the key points taken from our most recent HR webinar as well hot topics Neurodiversity and Menopause in the workplace.

Our HR Team at Goodwille together with the NBCC, FBCC and DKUK hosted this and you can watch it below:

Webinar Summary:

 

Pay Changes

Increase in National Minimum Wage	Increase to Family Leave Pay	Increase to Statutory Sick Pay	Increase to Statutory Redundancy Payments
From 1st April	From 2nd April	From 6th April	From 6th April
23 and over	(includes maternity / paternity / parental bereavement / adoption)
2022: £9.50ph 2023: £10.42ph	2022: £156.66pw 2023: £172.48pw	2022: £99.35pw 2023: £109.40pw	2022: £571pw 2023: £643pw

Extra Bank Holiday

8^th May 2023- Monday after the King’s Coronation

Menopause and the Workplace

Government Passes

• • The government have committed to appointing a menopause employment champion to work with organisations on formulating menopause policies.
  • Government led awareness campaign highlighting menopause in the workplace

Government Rejections

• • Starting a ‘Menopause Leave’ pilot programme
  • Dual protected characteristic of sex and age in the Equality Act 2010 to help protect menopausal women at work
  • Launching a consultation on making menopause a protected characteristic.

 

Employment Law Changes: What Bills are the Government backing?

• July 2022: How holidays are calculated for workers with irregular or 0 hour contracts
• Feb 2023: Request for more stable working patterns
  • Workers will be able to make 2x requests per year
  • Employers can refuse requests on specific grounds such as additional costs or lack of work at the times requested.
• Jan 2023: Draft code of practice on the use of dismissal and re-engagement as a means of changing terms and conditions in employment contracts.
• Gender Pay Gap Reporting
  • Businesses are encouraged to provide a supporting narrative explaining the causes of any pay differences and an action plan on how they intend to address those issues.
  • May 2022: LIVE for Public Sector
  • April 2022: Private and Voluntary Sector
• Parliamentary Bills
  • The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill
    • Will allow parents who baby’s need hospital neonatal care to take 12 weeks’ paid leave in addition to their statutory maternity or paternity leave
  • Allocation of Tips Bill
    • Will make it unlawful for employers to withhold tips from staff
  • The Protection from Redundancy Bill
    • Employees on maternity leave currently must be given priority for suitable alternative employment in a redundancy situation for 18 months from taking the leave
  • Carers Leave Bill
    • Gives carers 1 week’s unpaid leave a year to care for a dependant with a long term care need that is:
      • Likely to last more than 3 months
      • Is a disability under the Equality Act 2010
      • Connected to old age
  • Employment Relations Bill
    • The right to request flexible working a day 1 right and also reducing the employer reply time to 2 months (from 3)

 

HOT TOPIC 1: Menopause & Perimenopause

Symptoms

• Changes in periods
• Mental Health Changes (low mood, anxiety, mood swings, low self esteem, brain fog, memory loss)
• Hot Flushes
• Sleep Difficulties
• Palpitations
• Headaches & Muscle Aches
• Skin Changes

Case examples explained:

McMahon v Rothwell & Evans LLP

Rooney v Leicester City Council

 

HOT TOPIC 2: Neurodiversity

What do we mean by neurodiversity?

• The word comes from two parts – neurological and diversity.
• Neurological means things to do with our brain, and diversity means things that are different.
• It is a term used for lots of different people who have different thinking or communicating styles.
• These include lots of different conditions, including autism and ADHD, which impact how people communicate with others and the world around them.
• There’s also conditions like dyslexia, which effects how people read and spell, or dyspraxia, which impacts your movement and co-ordination.

Case examples explained:

Morgan v Buckinghamshire

Aylott v BPP

 

What happens if I don’t comply with the new employment law changes?

Complying with the updated employment laws and directives are not just important from a legal standpoint, but also from a Corporate Social Responsibility one. Companies must prioritise to be a good and responsible employer for the sake of their stakeholders, who also are increasingly aware of corporate behaviour.

If you are concerned or want help with your compliance do not hesitate to contact our HR Manager at jacqui.brown@goodwille.com or visit www.goodwille.com/human-resources. Goodwille can act as a fully outsourced HR service provider or support chosen areas of your HR functions.

Goodwille provides essential business services to foreign-owned businesses looking to enter, grow or scale in the UK, to find out more visit goodwille.com.