As part of the UK Government’s efforts to boost living standards and following weeks of consultation with business groups and trade unions, the Government has announced a series of proposed changes that the Employment Rights Bill (the “Bill”) plans to implement.

Here is a brief overview of the measures:

1. Employees will receive new “Day One” rights including being entitled to:
   1. statutory sick pay (at present, this only applies from the third day of sickness absence);
   2. unfair dismissal protection (removing the two-year qualifying employment requirement);
   3. parental leave (removing the 26-weeks continuous service requirement); and
   4. paternity leave entitlement (removing the one-year continuous service requirement).
2. Increasing the maximum period of the protective award for collective redundancy from 90 days to 180 days. Tribunals will be able to grant larger awards to employees for an employer’s failure to meet consultation requirements. Further guidance will be issued on this.
3. Abolishing the Lower Earnings Limit of 123 weekly to ensure that all employees, irrespective of pay, have access to statutory sick pay (“SSP”). People on wages below 123 weekly will receive either 80% of their average weekly earnings or statutory sick pay (which is currently 116.75), whichever is lowest.
4. A requirement for employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and sexual harassment-related disclosures will constitute “protected disclosures”.
5. Flexible working is set to become...

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