In April and October every year key changes in employment law are made. Seeing as though we only launched in May 2022, below is an update of some of the things to be aware of that came into place from April 2022 and upcoming changes.
Key things to be aware of;
National minimum wage rises
The rates of the national minimum wage increased on 1 April 2022 as below;
From £8.91 to £9.50 for workers aged 23 and over (the national living wage);
From £8.36 to £9.18 for workers aged 21 or 22;
From £6.56 to £6.83 for workers aged 18 to 20;
From £4.62 to £4.81 for workers aged under 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age; and
From £4.30 to £4.81 for apprentices under 19, or over 19 and in the first year of the apprenticeship.
Increase statutory family-related pay and sick pay
As of 3rd April 2022, the weekly rates for statutory family related pay and sick pay increased as follows;
Maternity, Adoption, Paternity, Shared Parental and Parental Bereavement Pay increased to £156.66, an increase from £151.97
Statutory sick pay is now £99.35, an increase from £96.35.
Redundancy Pay Calculations
For the purposes of calculating redundancy pay, anyone made redundant on or after 6 April 2022, will have their weekly pay capped at £571 and the maximum statutory redundancy pay they can receive is £17,130.
Doctors signatures no longer required on Fit Notes
The Social Security (Medical Evidence) and Statutory Sick Pay (Medical Evidence) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 Regulations (SI 2022/298) reversed the requirement for fit notes to be completed in ink or another indelible substance, and the need for the fit note to be signed by the issuing doctor. Fit notes will contain the name of the Doctor authorising the form but no longer require their signature and can be issued digitally.
Upcoming Changes
The below changes have no timescales attached yet but are useful for Employers and HR Professionals to be aware of;
Continuity of Service Gaps to be increased
Although a timeline is yet to be agreed, the Government's Good Work Plan outlines that the gap required to break an employees continuity of service should be increased from 1 week to 4 weeks. The idea of this change is to better protect employees who do intermittent work for their former employers but don't have access to their employment rights.
Right for workers to request a more stable contract
We're still waiting on a timeline for this change but the Government's Good Work Plan outlined how workers will be given the right to request a more stable contract after 26 weeks' continuous service. The change is intended to benefit those working irregular hours, such as those on Zero Hours contracts and who want more certainty to their income and hours.
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