Every April, we are used to seeing updates to many of the ‘financial figures’ used across the range of employment law areas. For example, the national minimum wage or the statutory caps on tribunal awards. We have summarised these below for you.
- Updated national minimum wage (in effect from 1 April 2024)
- Updated statutory cap on a weeks’ pay for calculating redundancy pay/unfair dismissal basic award
- Updated statutory sick pay
- Updated statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and parental bereavement pay (these increases take effect from 7 April 2024)
- Updated Vento bands. These are the guidelines that tribunals use to determine awards of compensation for injury to feelings.
This year there are also some legislative changes that came into force on 6 April 2024. We have included some brief points on these below, but we are on hand to provide further details if this would be helpful to you.
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act: This law provides employees with the right to make two flexible working requests in any 12-month period, rather than one and puts more focus on the employer consulting with the employee when considering such a request.
Carer’s Leave Act: This act will provide employees who care for dependents with long-term needs to one week’s unpaid leave every 12 months.
Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act: This will extend redundancy protection to pregnant employees, and those who have recently returned from a period of family-friendly leave.
The Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023: For holiday years starting on or after 1 April 2024, these regulations amend how holiday pay is accrued for part-year and irregular hours workers, and provide the option in some cases to pay “rolled-up” holiday.
For more information or advice on this or any other Employment Law & HR issue, please get in touch with Laura Robinson (Associate & Solicitor) on 0115 9 100 296, or send her an email.
Posted on April 11, 2024
