New Paternity Leave Regulations 2024: All you need to know

National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum/Living Wage for workers over 21 will rise by over a pound per hour from £10.42 to £11.44

Changes to holiday entitlement for irregular hour workers and part-year workers

For irregular hour workers and part year workers whose leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, there will be a a new accrual method for their holiday entitlement in that holidays will be calculated as 12.07% of actual hours worked in a pay period.

The Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024

This legislation covers entitlement to employees who care for a dependant with long-term care needs.

Things you need to be aware of as an employer from 6th April 2024:

1.     This regulation will allow an entitlement of one week’s unpaid leave per year;

2.     An employer is able to postpone when the carer can have the leave but cannot decline a request. Postponing a request is dependent on:

• The employer reasonably considering that the operation of the business would be unduly disrupted if it allowed the leave during the requested period.
• The employer allowing the employee to take a period of carer’s leave of the same duration, within a month of the period initially requested.
• The employer giving the employee a written notice within seven days of the initial request, setting out the reason for the postponement and the agreed dates on which the leave can be taken.

3.     During the period of the carer’s leave the employee would be entitled to benefit from all of their terms and condition of employment apart from their right to remuneration.

The Employment Regulations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 and the Associated Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/1328)

This legislation will provide that any flexible working requests made on or after 6th April will not require a minimum of service to be obtained.

The current requirement is 26 weeks of service.

As an employer you need to be aware that:

1.     An employee will no longer need to explain the effect of their request on their employer and how any effect might be dealt with;

2.     Employees can make two requests rather an one in any 12 month period

3.     Employers cannot refuse any request unless the employee that has made the request has been consulted.

4.     Currently employers have three months to make a decision this will be reduced to just two months but it would be subject to agreeing any longer term.

The Maternity Leave, Adoption Leave and Shared Parental Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024

This regulation will extend the priority for suitable alternative employment in a redundancy situation to pregnant employees and those who have returned from maternity, adoption of shares parental leave

The Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024

This legislation aims to enable family friendly workplace policies for parents coming into force on 6th April 2024.

Employer needs to be aware that:

1.     An employee is able to split their paternity leave into two one week sessions to be taken at different occasions (for example take one week and then another week at a later date).

2.     The employee will be able to take paternity leave at any time up to 52 weeks from the date of birth up from 8 weeks

3.     There will be a reduced notice period from the current notice period requirements which is 15 weeks to being 28 days instead.

If you require additional guidance with the what has been provided above, please do not hesitate to contact us and be put through to our Employment Law team on 01978 291 000.

Contact us

If you are an employer would like to understand more, please contact our friendly Employment Law team on 01978 291000 or  Melissa Bramwell

Email: [email protected]