2017 has been a busy year in employment law and your clients have had to navigate a number of key issues and significant changes throughout the year. Here’s a recap.
- Tribunal fees removed
In July 2017, the Supreme Court ruled tribunal fees are unlawful as they restrict access to justice and discriminate against those with a particular protected characteristic. Claimants are no longer required to pay a fee to bring a tribunal claim and those who have previously paid a fee can apply for reimbursement, along with interest. The statistics are showing that tribunal claim numbers are increasing significantly due to the removal of tribunal fees.
- Introduction of gender pay gap reporting
Large employers with 250 or more employees are now legally required to calculate and publish a report on their gender pay gap. The requirement was introduced in April 2017 as a way to increase transparency and encourage action on this issue. Many employers are expected to publish their report close to the deadline of 4th April 2018.
- Employment status and the ‘gig economy’
Employers who operate their business using ‘self-employed independent contractors’ are increasingly finding themselves facing tribunal claims to determine the employment rights of their workforce. High profile companies, such as Uber and Deliveroo, have helped highlight the need for employers to determine the employment status of their staff correctly, and the vast potential implications of getting this wrong.
- Creation of the apprenticeship levy
Since April 2017, large employers with an annual paybill over £3 million have been required to pay 0.5% of their paybill into a digital apprenticeship account. This money remains available for a maximum of 24 months to be spent on apprenticeships and apprentice training. The government introduced the levy to help achieve their aim of 3 million new apprenticeship starts by 2020.
- Sexual harassment in the workplace
Due to an increasing number of historic and current allegations being publicly disclosed, the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace has been increasingly focused on in 2017. Employers’ awareness of the importance of tackling this issue and dealing with complaints seriously has increased and is likely to lead to a continued movement to prevent sexual harassment taking place at work.
