Expert says devil is in the detail

Proposed changes to workers’ rights announced by the Government need to be carefully considered by businesses, with the “devil being in the detail”, according to a Shropshire-based employment law expert.

A raft of changes, such as staff being entitled to statutory sick pay from the first day they are ill rather than the fourth, are outlined in the Employment Rights Bill which was published earlier this month.

However, the Bill is not expected to become law until Summer 2025 and many details of the legislation are due to go out for consultation.

Alasdair Hobbs, managing director of Human Results in Telford, who provides employment law advice to businesses across Shropshire and the UK, said there were a lot of issues to consider.

“As always, the devil will be in the detail and the lengthy consultation period suggests that changes are likely.

“One of the most striking changes is the proposed introduction of a nine-month statutory probation period for new members of staff, as it looks like it will impose a process on employers.

“In itself, that’s no bad thing as in practice too many employees who can claim a protected characteristic will do so to give them some leverage in making a claim and following a process has always been the best defence to this.

“As a reminder, protected characteristics are those protected by the Equality Act 2010, including an employee’s age, disability, sex and religion or belief.

“A nine-month probation period is still pretty tight, meaning robust recruitment decisions, good induction training and effective staff management will be as vital as ever.”

Alasdair said he and his team would continue to work through the details of the Employment Rights Bill and advise clients accordingly.

“The Bill is something like 150 pages long, and represents one of the most significant shifts in employment law for many years,” he said.

“There will undoubtedly be a lot of debate and discussion over the coming months about which proposals will ultimately come into force, so it’s important that employers stay up to date.”