No one can deny that there has been a lot going on in the world of HR over the last few weeks! With just one week to go we want to make sure that you don’t forget the new reforms put in place by the Good Work Plan that will affect all businesses in all sectors as of Monday 6th April 2020.
Here is your guide to everything that you need to know and what changes you will need implement into your business straight away.
STATEMENT OF PARTICULARS As part of the government’s plans to provide clarity for employers and workers, the right to a written statement of employment particulars is being extended. From 6 April, written statements will have to include a number of additional particulars. The right to a statement is also being extended to workers and, from April, it will be a day-one right (rather than employers having two months from the employee starting work to provide a statement).
Currently you must provide an employee with a document that includes: • the names of the employer and employee; • the date the employment starts and the date the employee’s period of continuous employment began; • pay (or method of calculating it) and interval of payment; • hours of work, including normal working hours; • holiday entitlement and holiday pay; • the employee’s job title or a brief description of the work; • place of work; • a person to whom the employee can appeal if they are dissatisfied with any disciplinary or grievance decision (and the manner in which any such application should be made) or any decision to dismiss them; and • terms related to work outside the UK for a period of more than one month.
From 6 April, a written statement will also need to set out: • the days of the week the worker is required to work, whether the working hours may be variable and how any variation will be determined; • any paid leave to which the worker is entitled; • details of all remuneration and benefits; • any probationary period; • any training entitlement provided by you, including whether any training is mandatory and/or must be paid for by the worker; • the notice periods for termination by either side; and • terms as to length of temporary or fixed-term work.
As an employer, you will need to update your template employment contracts to comply with the new requirements but do not have to issue new contracts to existing staff. Existing staff may request a written statement that complies with the new requirements and in that case companies must provide the statement within one month of the request (the employee can only make this request once).
HOLIDAY PAY REFERENCE PERIODS The calculation of holiday will also change from a 12-week reference period to a 52- week reference period when determining an average week’s pay for the purposes of calculating holiday pay.
AGENCY WORKERS Two key changes for employment businesses and those that engage with them are the abolition of the Swedish derogation and provision of a key information document to agency work-seekers. These will also apply from April. We hope that we have been able to help identify some of the key changes taking place as of Monday 6th April. If you would like any further help on the topic then please don’t hesitate to email us at help@whitcombehr.co.uk for more information.