There was good news at the end of last year regarding new laws that come into effect from April 2024 meaning employees have many new rights and protections including:

💪The right to request flexible working from day one
💪Carer's leave
💪Extended redundancy protections for new parents

Under the new parental leave regulations, the period protected from redundancy for those on maternity leave will include the entire pregnancy, as well as 18 months from the first day of the estimated week of childbirth (although the employee can change this to the exact date of birth if they inform their employer prior to the end of their maternity leave).

Adoptive parents will be protected from redundancy from 18 months from placement for adoption, and for shared parental leave the protected period will be 18 months from birth, provided the parent has taken at least six consecutive weeks of shared parental leave.

Under the carer's leave regulations, employees who are unpaid carers for a relative or friend will receive up to five days' unpaid leave from work each year.

Employees will need to give their employer notice of at least twice the length of time that needs to be taken off work, and they do not need to do so in writing.

Those taking carer's leave will also be protected from dismissal or detriment as a result of having taken the leave.

We are so pleased to see these have been passed as law to give employees with families and carers a fair playing field in their careers.