Key Takeaways From the New Employment Rights Bill 2023
What is the Employment Rights Bill?
The Employment Rights Bill 2023 is expected to come into effect by mid-2025 and introduces several significant changes for both employees and employers. The key provisions include:
Unfair dismissal protection from day one
Employees will gain protection against unfair dismissal from the first day of employment.
Automatic protection from dismissal for refusing contract variations
Dismissing an employee for refusing a contract change will be deemed automatically unfair.
Guaranteed minimum hours for zero-hour or low-hours contracts
Employees on zero-hours or low-hours contracts will be entitled to a minimum guaranteed number of working hours.
Employer obligation to prevent sexual harassment
From 26th October 2024, employers will be legally required to take steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Statutory sick pay from day one
Employees will be entitled to statutory sick pay starting from the first day of absence due to illness.
Paternity leave as a day-one right
Paternity leave will become a right from the first day of employment.
Reasonable notice for shift changes
Employers will need to provide reasonable notice to employees when changing shifts.
The Importance of Employment Practice Liability Insurance
With these changes on the horizon, the importance of Employment Practice Liability / HR Insurance becomes even more crucial for businesses. The policy helps protect organisations from claims made by employees when they believe their legal rights have been violated.
The policy provides legal costs to defend such allegations and if defence is unobtainable then the insurer will pay for damages and, if ordered to do so, the claimants legal costs. Such violation may be alleged against the firm, a director, officer or another employee. It is worth mentioning that the employer has vicarious liability of the acts of their
employees even if the employer was not involved directly or had any knowledge of the
incident
As the Employment Rights Bill 2023 reshapes the legal landscape for employers and employees alike, organisations will need to stay informed and ensure they are adequately protected against potential claims. Investing in Employment practice aka HR insurance will provide peace of mind and help safeguard against costly legal disputes.
Contact Nick Taylor-Ward for advice and queries on 07976 090701 or by email: nick.taylorward@konsileo.com
