More employment changes in store for 2015

2014 saw a number of changes in employment law and 2015 looks to continue at the same pace.

Our employment law solicitor Alex Pearce has been providing regular updates throughout 2014 on the changes in employment law. Now he looks at what’s in store in the coming year.

A look back

Employment law has always been a fast paced area of law with frequent changes.

As we enter into a New Year, 2014 saw a number of major changes to employment law including:

• changes to TUPE 2006
• ACAS Early Conciliation became mandatory
• discrimination questionnaires were abolished
• financial penalties imposed by Tribunals for employers who lose in the Employment Tribunal where there are aggravating factors 
• the right to request flexible working for all employees with 26 weeks service come into force

A look forward

2015 will bring about further changes.

This month we have already seen the new clawback provisions which apply to any variable remuneration awarded by PRA-authorised firms since 1 January 2015 and a ban on “overseas only” recruitment by employment agencies.

On the 5 April 2015, a new system of shared parental leave will be available to parents of children due to be born or placed for adoption with them on or after that date. Eligible employees will be entitled to a maximum of 52 weeks’ leave and 39 weeks’ statutory pay upon the birth or adoption of a child, which can be shared between the parents.

There will also be an extension to the existing unpaid parental leave regime to parents of children aged between five and eighteen and a requirement for 26 weeks’ service before employees become entitled to adoption leave.

Later in the year, we expect to see a draft order to outlaw caste discrimination.

Keeping you informed

The Employment Law team will be providing regular updates and information in the monthly Pinney Talfourd newsletter. If you are not already on our mailing list you can subscribe here.

This article was written by Alex Pearce, Associate Solicitor in the Employment Law Team at Pinney Talfourd. This article is only intended to provide a general summary and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as at January 2015.