Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the amount payable by employers when an employee is absent from work due to sickness. It is currently set at a flat rate of £118.75 (from 6th April 2025). There are certain eligibility requirements, including the fact that SSP is not currently payable during the first three days of absence, known as ‘waiting days’ and that those earning below the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) – £125 per week – were not eligible.
The Government has published its response to its consultation on the application of zero hours contracts measures to agency workers. The Employment Rights Bill already includes complex proposals for low and zero-hours workers covering three key areas:
The employment relationship can generally come to an end in one of two ways: resignation by the employee or dismissal by the employer. But what happens when wires get crossed? Where the employer genuinely believes that the employee has resigned and acts on that resignation – but they haven’t actually resigned. This point was addressed by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in the recent case of Korpysa v Impact Recruitment Services.
April marks the month each year where changes to statutory rates come into force. Most rate changes take effect from 6th April (to align with the start of the new tax year). National minimum wage changes take effect from 1st April.
Several significant changes in employment law rates are set to take effect in 2025. These updates will impact various aspects of employment, including wages, family-friendly payments, and statutory leave. Below is a detailed overview of the key changes.
Where an employee is discriminated against by their employer in relation to a protected characteristic, they can bring a number of claims under the Equality Act 2010. The protected characteristics set out in this Act are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
An Amendment Paper on the Employment Rights Bill was published at the end of November. Key proposed changes include the following proposals from the Government:
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