We have been so caught up in Covid, vaccines and furlough over the last 2 years we might have missed the usual employment law updates so what’s coming in employment law in 2022?

Well, they are still happening – maybe taking longer due to restrictions but here are some updates likely to come into force later in 2022.

It’s proposed to introduce an Employment Bill (when parliamentary time allows).This bill covers quite a few different aspects and more information will be available as it is finalised – CIPD has some key dates to check out

Highlights include:

• Employees who have an unpredictable rota will have the right to request more consistent hours after 26 weeks of service. This will be interesting for those working on zero hours for example and it will be good to get more detail how this will work e.g. in hospitality.
• People with long-term caring responsibilities will have the right to request up to 5 days unpaid leave to allow them to care or arrange care for someone who has long term care needs.
• Slight changes to flexible working mean employees can make a request to work flexibly from day one of their employment (but the employer’s right to refuse still stays the same).
• Having a baby in neonatal after birth is traumatic enough but on top of that many parents face the challenge of their leave disappearing without their baby being at home.  So this bill is proposing paid time off up to 12 weeks whilst your baby is in a neonatal ward. Conditions will apply.
• A single enforcement body to enforce breaches relating to minimum wage, modern slavery, employment agencies, Statutory Sick Pay and holiday pay. This enforcement body will have new powers to tackle non-compliance including imposing civil penalties.
• Extending redundancy protection for pregnant workers and those on maternity leave and other forms of family leave. The proposed plan is to extend the period of protection to apply from the point the employee informed the employer that they are pregnant to six months after the end of the family leave period – so it could be the case that the role of an employee who is pregnant or on maternity/family leave cannot be made redundant until after a period of six months once the leave has come to an end.

Some interesting updates to come and as always we will update you once we have more information. Sign up for our newsletters to ensure you know what is happening.