5 Employment Law changes in April

April will be a busy month for Employment Law changes. Here is a list of the legislation changes that is likely to affect your business;

1. Shared Parental Leave- From 5th April, new parents will be able to divide their maternity leave entitlements (50 weeks leave and 37 weeks’ pay). The issue for employers will be that parents can take their leave as discontinuous periods and if parents wish, they can take their leave at the same time as each other.
2. Increased statuary pay rates- From 6th April statuary pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave will increase to £139.58 per week.
3. Parental Leave extended until 18- From 6th April the right to take up to 18 weeks’ unpaid parental leave can now be applied to parents who have children under the age of 18 in all cases. Previously, the limit to parental leave was for parents with children under 5.
4. Adoptive parent rights are increased- From 6th April parents who have a child through surrogacy will be granted the opportunity to take ordinary parental leave and pay, adoption leave and shared parental leave and pay.
5. Increase in compensation limits for employment tribunal awards- Compensation limits will increase for 6th April. The limit for a week’s pay will increase to £475 when calculating compensation for unfair dismissal. The maximum amount of compensation that an employee can receive has risen to £78,335

If you are a business owner and are unsure of how to approach these changes in the law, get in touch. One of our experts can talk you through how we can assist your business.