There were a surprising number of employment-related developments in the UK over the traditional summer holiday period. We highlight new employment status guidance, government support for neonatal care leave and fair allocation of tips, the Women and Equalities Select Committee menopause report and changes to industrial action law.
After the anticipated Employment Bill was missing from the Queen’s Speech, it was unclear whether we would see any significant employment-related reform this year. A flurry of activity from the government in late July clarified the position.
The government responded to the 2018 consultation on employment status and confirmed that two potentially significant reforms will be making their way through parliament later this year in the form of Private Members’ Bills. In addition, the Women and Equalities Select Committee published its menopause in the workplace report, while small changes to industrial action law came into force on 21 July.
The tests used to decide whether someone is an employee, a worker or self-employed have been established through court decisions, not legislation. The Taylor review of modern working practices suggested that the employment status tests could be codified to improve clarity and reflect the reality of casual working arrangements. The government has now confirmed that it is not going to make the tests statutory, because this would result in costs and uncertainty for employers that would...
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