Employment law is constantly evolving, and 2024 brought several important changes that businesses must be aware of. From enhanced protections against redundancy to new obligations around flexible working and preventing workplace harassment, these updates could have a significant impact on how employers manage their workforce. Failing to comply not only risks legal action but could also damage your company’s reputation.
In this article, we explore three key changes to employment law in 2024 and what they could mean for your business.
Extension of Protection Against Redundancy
- Change: Protection against redundancy for employees that have taken maternity, adoption, or shared parental leave was enhanced. Previously, protection against redundancy only applied during maternity leave, but now it covers additional family leave types.
- Penalty: Employers who dismiss employees during these protected periods may face claims for unfair dismissal in an employment tribunal. If the tribunal finds in favour of the employee, the employer may be required to pay compensation for unfair dismissal, discrimination as well as potentially facing reputational damage.
Flexible Working Requests
- Change: Employees now have the right to request flexible working from day one of their employment. Employers must respond to the request within two months and lawful reasons for rejecting a request has to be based on at least one of eight statutory business reasons.
- Penalty: Employers who fail to consider flexible working requests properly or don’t provide a response within the required time frame could face claims of discrimination or a failure to comply with the statutory process. If the employee pursues legal action, this could lead to compensation and potentially reputational harm.
Your obligation to prevent sexual harassment at work
- Change: UK employers have a legal obligation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, not just respond to it after it has occurred. Employers are required to be proactive in protecting employees from sexual harassment by taking reasonable steps such as introducing clear policies, providing staff training, and ensuring a safe and supportive environment to make clear that such behaviour is not tolerated.
Employers must also be transparent about their processes for reporting and addressing complaints, and they should regularly review and update these measures.
- Penalty: If employers fail to meet these obligations, it is likely that they will be held liable for any sexual harassment that occurred in their workplace, including paying enhanced compensation to the complainant and face damage to their reputation.
For further information on any of these changes, please feel free to contact our specialist Employment team on 0113 284 5000 or via email at employment@isonharrison.co.uk.
