In this blog post, we give you a whistle-stop tour of the employment law changes expected to come into effect this year to help your organisation remain compliant.
From 1st January 2024 and applying to leave years beginning after 1st April 2024, irregular hours and part-year workers will be able to receive holiday pay as an additional amount in every payslip rather than receiving holiday pay when they take annual leave.
For all workers, at least the first four weeks of holiday pay must be based on a worker’s ‘normal’ pay, the law now specifies this must include: payments intrinsically linked to the performance of tasks that a worker is contractually obliged to carry out; payments relating to professional or personal status; and other payments which have been paid regularly to a worker in the 52 weeks preceding the calculation date.
Changes to flexible working requests will come into effect on 6th April 2024. From this date, employees will be able to make a flexible working request from their first day of employment, no longer requiring an initial 26 weeks of service.
They can also make two requests in any 12 months where currently, this is limited to one, and employers will only have two months to respond to the request instead of three.
In addition, employees will no longer have to include any effects they think the requested change would have on the employer, plus the employer will be required to consult with employees unless they agree to the request in full (which currently isn’t necessary).
From 1st April 2024, the changes to minimum wage will be as follows:
| Category | Current Rate | From 1st April 2024 | % Increase |
| Aged 23 and over | £10.42 | £11.44 | 9.79% |
| Aged 21 and 22 | £10.18 | £11.44 | 12.38% |
| Aged 18 to 20 | £7.49 | £8.60 | 14.82% |
| Aged under 18 | £5.28 | £6.40 | 21.21% |
| Apprentice | £5.28 | £6.40 | 21.21% |
From 8th March 2024, applying to children who are due to be born or placed for adoption after 6th April this year, eligible employees will be able to take two non-consecutive weeks of paternity leave if they would prefer, instead of the current single period of one or two weeks.
They will also have the option to take their leave within one year of the birth or placement, extending the current rule of within 56 days. Finally, providing the employee still gives the standard 15 weeks’ notice of their baby being due, they will now be able to give just 28 days’ notice of their actual leave dates (or as soon as reasonably practical).
New legislation is coming into effect from 6th April 2024, entitling one week per year of unpaid carer’s leave to employees who have someone who relies on them for care who has either a physical or mental illness or injury that means they’re expected to need care for more than three months, a disability, or care needs because of their old age.
This can be taken as half days, full days, or one full week, providing the employee gives three days’ notice for requests of one day or less or a notice period of twice the length of the proposed leave length for requests of more than one day. Employers cannot refuse requests but can delay them by no longer than one month.
Currently, employees on maternity leave, adoption leave, or shared parental leave have the right to be offered a suitable alternative role if their role is made redundant.
From 6th April 2024, this protection will be extended to include employees who are pregnant and those who have recently returned from maternity/adoption leave and shared parental leave of more than 6 weeks, lasting 18 months after the child’s date of birth or placement.
For full details of the new protection periods for the varying employee circumstances (including miscarriage), you can watch our free, on-demand Employment Law Changes in 2024 webinar here.
From 1st July 2024, organisations will no longer be required to have employee representatives for a TUPE consultation if there are no existing worker representatives in place and either:
This will streamline the process as businesses can consult directly with employees in these situations.
A new law, expected to take effect in autumn 2024, will include a duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment.
Although guidance on what this requirement will look like is yet to be issued, it’s likely that employers will need to provide training and have a specific sexual harassment policy in place.
Finally, another bill set to take effect in autumn 2024 but with no set date, will give employees with unpredictable working patterns the right to request a predictable working pattern, with a limit of two requests per year.
Employers will have to consider the request and only turn it down if there is a genuine business reason (like the current flexible working process) and any requests will need to be dealt with within one month.
With the number of legislative updates coming into effect this year, this is just a quick overview of the main changes that employers need to know. For more detail on each of the areas covered, including any calculations and how to apply the changes in various circumstances, watch our free on-demand Employment Law Changes in 2024 webinar here. Alternatively, if you’re looking for hands-on HR support, contact us today.
