New measures under the Employment Rights Act came into force on 6 April, including reforms to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), the introduction of ‘day one’ rights for family leave, a doubling of collective redundancy penalties, and stronger whistleblowing protections. These changes are accompanied by the launch of the Fair Work Agency today (7 April), which in time will act as the UK’s enforcement body for employment rights.
Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at APSCo UK and OutSource commented:
“The new tax year brings in a lot of change for recruiters - the first major changes of the Employment Rights Act going live in addition to strict tax liability for umbrella supply chains. This is very much the beginning of stronger regulation with the Fair Work Agency expected to expand its remit into holiday pay and other pay claims in due course. Potentially this is at odds with the Government's pledge to reduce business administration by 25% over the course of this Parliament.
To support growth, in an inflationary climate, Government must minimise regulatory change, leaving companies with the bandwidth to focus on their commercial interests. Government must review the Make Work Pay Roadmap, prioritising change that will deliver the most societal impact, with the least commercial friction.”
Find out more by visiting our bank of Employment Rights Act resources here.