Quarterly HR Legislation Update from Clear Bridge HR

At Clear Bridge HR, we’re all about providing no-nonsense HR support to start-ups and SMEs across the UK and Europe. In collaboration with our friends at HRLife, we’ve put together this quarterly update to help keep you in the loop with the latest employment law changes that might affect your business. This time, we’re looking at some big shifts following the election, particularly around unfair dismissal laws—expect some of the biggest updates in over 50 years!

Here’s a snapshot of what’s coming:

• The rule that prevents employees with less than two years of service from claiming unfair dismissal (except in limited cases) will be removed.
• A day-one right to protection from unfair dismissal will be introduced for all workers, not just employees.
• Labour has clarified that this won’t stop fair dismissals for reasons like capability, conduct, or redundancy, or probationary periods, as long as there are transparent processes in place.
• Employers will still be able to assess new hires during probation, but the new rules aim to stop unjust dismissals and help improve workplace standards.
• New legislation will ensure workers have “basic day-one rights,” including parental leave, sick pay, and flexible working.

These updates mean it’s time to take a look at your contracts, policies, and employee handbooks to make sure everything’s in line with the new legislation. Get ahead of the game by updating your documents and keeping your teams in the loop before the end of the year.

If you want to speak to the Clear Bridge HR team, then we’d love to help or if you need additional resource in your HR or ER teams, then we know HRLife are the go-to people.  Between us, we can help you navigate these changes with ease!

Partner contributors: Katy and Gemma (Clear Bridge HR)