Since our last Employment law update there has been a new government that has a clear agenda to overhaul UK employment law completely, imposing greater responsibility on employers, removing flexibility and enhancing rights for employees. The Employment Rights Bill is imminent, bringing with it a raft of complex changes. We will provide an overview of the Bill and its changes, and our best estimate of when various parts will be implemented.
We will be looking in more detail at the most imminent changes, including how you can change terms and conditions now before significant limitations come into force, and the new rules, what they mean and discussing what options employers will have in the future to make changes when needed.
We will be talking about the new employer’s duty to protect against harassment relating to all protected characteristics and how to implement it, together with liability for third-party harassment and what that will look like. We will also look at the implications for employers of the Supreme Court decision in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, how to update policies and deal with competing protected characteristics in the workplace, and we will cover the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) updated guidance.
With changes to time limits for bringing employment tribunal claims and day one unfair dismissal rights, we expect to see significantly more tribunal litigation, so we will be discussing Acas early conciliation and how to get the best from it, how to prepare for employment tribunals to minimise fees and improve prospects, and also reviewing tribunal awards and how they are calculated to help Human Resource (HR) professionals brief the business.
And of course, our annual update would not be complete without our in-depth look at recent case law we think will be of interest. As usual we will help you deal with the challenges posed by employment law. There will also be an opportunity to learn about our wider work on HR matters and all delegates will receive the new edition of our handbook, Employment law for line managers.
