Changes To Employment Law That Charities Need To Know

17th April 2024

There are a number of new employment laws coming into effect this month that charities need to be aware of. Tracy Madgwick, lead HR consultant with Action Planning, rounds them up.

Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023

Pregnant employees or those returning from maternity, adoption, or shared parental leave will be protected from redundancy.

It will be your duty as an employer to offer these employees a suitable alternative vacancy in the 18 months after birth or adoption. The existing right to be offered a vacancy while on leave will be extended. Failure to comply will be considered unfair dismissal and discrimination.

Carer's Leave Act 2023

This states that employees with carer responsibilities will be granted a legal right to take up to five days off a year to fulfil their responsibilities. These days will be unpaid and can be taken as full or half days.

Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023

There's been a lot of news about this, so I'm sure you will have heard of this change. Employees gain the right to request flexible working from day one, with an increased limit of two requests per year. See the other article linked to this newsletter for more advice on this change.

Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Employees will be able to take statutory paternity leave at any point in the first year (previously it was only allowed during the first eight weeks) and will be able to split it up into two separate blocks of one week.

There are more changes due to come into play by the end of the year, which we will update you on when they land. Some of these have been on the horizon since 2018, so hopefully you're prepared for the changes. But if you'd like help amending your documentation, or anything else, get in touch with Tracy by emailing tracy.madgwick@actionplanning.co.uk

https://actionplanning.co.uk/