Guidance on Statutory Neonatal Care Leave and Pay published
ACAS has published guidance on the new right to Statutory Neonatal Care Leave and Pay, setting out practical advice for both employers and employees. The guidance is available here.
The UK Government has also published a suite of guidance including Neonatal Care Pay and Leave: Overview and Statutory Neonatal Care Pay and Leave: Employer Guide. Additional guidance, looking at how particular circumstances impact Statutory Neonatal Care Pay and how to manually calculate the pay, can also be found here.
Right to Work rules to be extended to gig economy
The Home Office has announced that right to work checks are to be extended to companies hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers. Sectors including construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services will be amongst those affected. The checks are free of charge with businesses able to utilise digital ID verification technology to complete the process. Potential penalties for failure to comply include fines of up to £60,000 per worker, business closures, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences.
Nearly half of LGBTQ+ employees feel unsupported by HR
A recent study of over a thousand LGBTQ+ individuals carried out by Pride in Leadership has found that 42% of respondents felt HR "brushed off" their concerns. The survey also revealed a suspicion of hiring and promoting bias (while only 16% believed they had been denied a job, another 77% were unsure) and a lack of leadership representation. The study calls for HR departments to take a more proactive approach to creating supportive and inclusive working environments.
Further amendments to Employment Rights Bill published
On 22 April more proposed amendments to the Employment Rights Bill were published, which will be considered during the Committee Stage of the Bill's passage through the House of Lords. A number of the proposed amendments relate to the zero-hours and low-hours workers provisions of the Bill. The Bill is currently at Committee Stage which is scheduled to continue through to mid-May.
