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If you employ staff it’s important that you keep up to date with the changes coming into place for employment law. At KC Accountancy services we ensure we’re always up to date so our clients don’t need to worry.
Several changes to employment law came into play from 6 April 2024.
Changes to flexible working
Previously employees were entitled to make one request a year for flexible working and employers had to respond to their requests within three months of them making the request. Going forward employees will now be allowed to make 2 requests per year for flexible working and employers must give them a response within 2 months from the request being made. Originally employees could only make a request for flexible working after 26 weeks of working in the role. Now they can make requests from their first day of employment.
Employees who make requests for flexible working will no longer need to explain the reason for their request. However, when an employer refuses the request they must give an explanation as to why. The reason must be one that’s listed as a valid reason, such as business costs and the impact on performance.
Carers Leave
If your employee has caring responsibilities for a spouse, civil partner, child, parent or other dependent, they will be entitled to take one week of unpaid leave per year providing that the person that they care for requires care for longer than 3 months. There is no qualifying period for this entitlement and therefore the employee is entitled to this leave from their first day of employment.
Increased protection from redundancy
If you have an employee who is pregnant they will have increased protection from redundancy for at least 18 months. The protection will begin once the employer is notified of the employee’s pregnancy and will end when the child is 18 months old. Previously the protection only covered employees for the period of their maternity leave.
This protection means that if the employee’s role is made redundant you must give them first refusal of any other vacancies; however, they can still be made redundant if no appropriate vacancy is available.
Flexibility for paternity leave
Employees who are entitled to paternity leave were only allowed to take 2 consecutive weeks of leave within the first 8 weeks of their child being born. This has now changed and an employee can now take their paternity leave in 2 separate 1 week blocks, any time within the first year of their child’s birth
There will be further changes coming into place that are expected in September of this year. We will keep you updated when we know more.
If you’re an employer and don’t have the support you need to ensure you’re compliant, we advise that you instruct the services of a HR professional.
