Employment Rights Bill becomes law in UK

The government’s flagship Employment Rights Bill is now officially law in the UK, and it is going to mean big changes for companies of all sizes.

This legislation made it through the House of Lords in mid-December and became law on the 18th of the month. Among the changes that UK companies will need to prepare for are ones to protections for whistleblowers, strike action, sick pay and unfair dismissal rights. In the case of the latter, peers from the opposition parties had been trying to keep the compensation cap in place, but they failed in that bid.

Now that the bill has passed, attention is turning to what companies need to do to get ready for the changes. Luke Bowery is a partner in the Burges Salmon legal firm and he said that preparations should begin right away, even if some changes may not happen for another two years.

That view was backed up by Lorna Ferrie of Mauve Group. She told HR Magazine that HR teams should be working out a timeline, adding:

“It will also be vital for HR teams to audit all employment contracts, handbooks, zero-hours agreements, probation clauses and dismissal/legal policies.”

This will be a lot for HR teams to take on alongside their regular work. For that reason, some companies may decide to outsource parts of the work to HR services in Bedfordshire. Consultancies can also offer them unrivalled legal expertise.

Ferrie went on to say that HR departments would need to work out which changes are most relevant to their organisations and prioritise them.