Proposal to extend redundancy protections for pregnant employees and new parents
On 21 October 2022, the government announced that it was backing the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill. The Bill recently completed its passage through the House of Commons and had its first reading in the House of Lords on 6 February 2023. Whilst the timeline for the Bill to become law is not yet known, it is expected for 2023.
The purpose of the bill is to extend current redundancy protection, covering maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, to give employees who have just returned from work after parental leave 6 additional months of redundancy protection (in addition to the current 12 months from the date the woman tells her employer she is pregnant). This is a significant step forward for working parents, although some have queried whether it goes far enough? Protected employees can still be selected for redundancy but will have priority over other employees for any suitable alternative vacancies.
Other Insights
-
15th August 2024Understanding mediation
If you are considering separating from your partner, the process of divorce can seem daunting. You are not alone in feeling like this and the family team at SMB are regularly asked about the process of divorce and mediation. Below we have compiled some of the most popular questions that clients ask us about mediation to help sign post you to your next steps.
Read more -
12th August 2024Highlighting some of the heroes – the Post Office scandal
As the Horizon IT Post Office Inquiry Phase 6 comes to an end, and ever more shocking evidence appears about how sub-postmasters were unlawfully convicted as part of a massive criminal conspiracy, when considering all of the bad actors who contributed to the biggest miscarriage of justice in English legal history, it’s worth remembering that there are also people who fall into the opposite category.
Read more -
29th July 2024The value of pre-publication procedure
In order to thwart threatened (or successfully defend actual) defamation claims, publishing lawyers regularly advise journalist/publisher clients on the proper fulfilment of their journalistic obligations.
Read more