As part of keeping you in our focus, our ‘legal lightbulb’ update ensures you’re on top of the latest changes in legislation, case law, and people trends.
Proposed Neonatal Leave and Pay Bill
A bill has been introduced to parliament to try and establish extended paid leave for parents of premature and sick babies. Under the proposal, parents and carers would be entitled to paid time off if their baby has to spend seven or more consecutive days in hospital in their first four weeks of life. We’ll keep you updated on the status of the proposal.
Four-day working week trial kicks off
Over 3000 employees at 70 UK businesses started their trial of a four-day working week earlier this month. The basis of the trial is to retain 100% pay, work 20% fewer hours, and deliver 100% productivity. The trial will gather evidence to present a test case to government and business leaders that a four-day week can work by increasing overall wellbeing without a negative impact on productivity…and actually boost business performance!
New Modern Slavery Bill
The government has proposed a Modern Slavery Bill to strengthen protections and increase accountability (timescales for introduction to be confirmed). Proposed changes include:
- Making it mandatory for modern slavery statements to be published on the online government registry (for those required to produce a statement)
- Requiring specific areas to be included within statements such as internal policies, due diligence processes, effectiveness at preventing modern slavery (and more)
- Introducing civil penalties for organisations that do not comply with the requirements
Proposed SSP reforms
A recent report suggests reforms to the SSP system could boost the UK economy by around £3.9bn over five years. Proposed reforms would include increasing the proportion of salary covered by SSP, widening eligibility for all workers, simplifying administration for employers, and introducing a conditional sick pay rebate for small businesses. Find the full report here.
People diary dates
- 04 August – Cycle to Work Day
- 08-14 August – Afternoon Tea Week
- 15 September – Pension Awareness Day
- 19-25 September – Recycle Week
