It is often said that the area of law which changes the most is employment law. That certainly seems to be the case judging from the raft of changes that have recently been proposed by the government.

Here are just a few of the proposals that are being considered:

Prohibiting Non-Disclosure Agreements in sexual harassment and discrimination cases

The government plans to ban confidentiality clauses from being used to prevent individuals from disclosing information to the police, health professionals, lawyers and social workers. However, Non-Disclosure Agreements will still be lawful for legitimate reasons, for example to protect confidential information and trade secrets.

Redundancy protections of new parents and the introduction of neonatal leave

It is proposed that new and expectant mothers and employees who are adopting or taking shared parental leave will have legal protection against being made redundant for six months after they return to work.

It is proposed that this six-month rule should also apply to employees who inform their employer they are pregnant.

Phased return from sick leave

The government is finally proposing to shake up the Statutory Sick Pay system. As part of this process it is being proposed that employees who are returning to work after a period of sick leave will be entitled to enter into a flexible phased return to work.

The right to reasonable notice of work schedules and compensation for the cancellation of shifts

The government is consulting as to whether workers should be entitled to reasonable notice of their work schedule and is looking at introducing a penalty to employers who fail to provide adequate notice of this.

In addition, workers who suffer a cut in their shifts at short notice without warning could be entitled to compensation.

At Phillips Solicitors our Employment Law team keep abreast of the constant changes in legislation. We are happy to assist you with any aspect of employment law, whether you are an employee or employer.

For advice and assistance please contact Gill Brown on 01256 854605 or email or email [email protected]

Disclaimer

This article is current at the date of publication set out above and is for reference purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. Specific legal advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking any action.