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April 2024 Employment Law Changes

A significant number of new employment laws and amendments are set to take effect in April 2024, which are listed below. Employers need to be prepared to comply with these upcoming changes to avoid potential legal issues and ensure fair treatment of their workforce.

National Minimum Wage (1st April 2024)

  • This April sees the largest ever increase in the National Minimum Wage of more than £1 for each age group.
  • 16-17 year-old’s hourly rate will increase to £6.40 and 18-20 year-old’s hourly rate will increase to £8.60.
  • The National Living Wage threshold will also be lowered to include 21 year-olds so the rate for 21-23 year-olds will increase to £11.44 per hour.

Holiday Entitlement for Irregular Workers (For holiday years starting on or after 1st April 2024)

  • A rolled-up holiday pay method will be introduced to calculate holiday entitlement for irregular workers (zero-hour and casual). Employers will be able to pay worker 12.07% of their hours worked in addition to their normal hourly rate of pay to represent their holiday pay entitlement.

Flexible Working (6th April 2024)

  • Employees will have a day-one right to request flexible working instead of the current 26 weeks of continuous employment and will now be able to make two statutory requests in any 12-month period.
  • Employees will no longer have to explain the effect of the change requested and employers will have to make a decision within two months instead of the current three months.

Pregnant Workers and Redundancy (6th April 2024)

  • Pregnant employees will have more rights and protection against redundancy than other employees meaning employers will need to consider them for any alternative roles before other employees.
  • This entitlement will be exercised from the point of notifying their employer of their pregnancy and continue until 18 months after birth. This will also apply to shared parental leave and adoption leave arrangements.

Paternity Leave (Where the expected week of childbirth falls on or after 6th April 2024)

  • Fathers or partners will be able to split their paternity leave into two blocks of one week at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child.
  • The notice period required for each period of leave will also be shortened to 28 days (or 4 weeks).

Statutory Carer’s Leave (6th April 2024)

  • Employees will have a day-one right to take up to one week of unpaid Statutory Carer’s Leave in any 12-month period if they care for a dependent. Qualifying employees will be entitled to 5 days of unpaid leave per year.

Statutory Pay (8th April 2024)

  • Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will increase from £109.30 to £116.75 per week.
  • Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Paternity Pay (SPP), Adoption Pay (SAP), Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP) and Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) will increase from £172.48 to £184.03 per week.

For further guidance on current or upcoming legislative changes, please contact us at [email protected]. We are here to support you through these developments and ensure compliance with the latest regulations.

April 2024 Employment Law Changes
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