Round-up of all the legal changes in January 2024 | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
2024 is set to be a busy year will plenty of legislative changes taking effect at various points throughout the year, with changes still being announced .
The Government has just announced that it is backtracking on the proposed increase from Spring 2024 to the salary required for family visas, and that the proposed increase to £38,700 will not now take place. Instead, they plan to initially set it at £29,000.
As the New Year fast approaches here is a reminder of what is happening in January 2024:
From 1st January 2024:
Covid holiday carry-over ends –
-
The emergency rules on annual leave which were implemented in 2020 meant that workers could carry over 4 weeks of leave into the next 2 leave years where it was not reasonably practicable for them to take it because of the effects of Covid. From 1 January 2024, this will be removed, but for any employees who have any “Covid carry over leave” accrued by that date but have not taken it, have until 31 March 2024 to use it.
Remaining rules on holiday carry-over continue –
- Nothing actually changing here but as these rights derive from ECJ case law it has had to be added to our legislation to ensure that the status quo is maintained. There will continue, therefore, to be a right of carry-over in the following situations:
- Where a worker was unable to take holiday due to being on maternity leave or other family-friendly leave – can carry over 5.6 weeks to the following leave year.
- Where a worker was unable to take holiday due to sickness – can carry over 4 weeks of leave for 18 months after the end of the leave year in which the leave was accrued.
Legislation will be updated from 1st January 2024 –
- To state that for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024 employers can lawfully pro-rata holiday entitlement for part-year and irregular hours workers, and if they want to do so, can again use rolled-up holiday pay, but only for these types of workers. Remember that whilst the law will be updated in January, employers cannot actually make any changes until their next leave year starting on or after 1 April 2024.
From 16th January 2024, subject to parliamentary approval, the Immigration Health Surcharge is set to increase from £624 to £1,035.
Finally, from 22nd January 2024, if approved by parliament, the civil penalty when an employer is found to have employed foreign workers unlawfully, will increase:
- To £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach.
- To £60,000 for repeated breaches.
HR Inform – 22nd December 2023
Our HR advice / comments: Round-up of all the legal changes in January 2024 | Consensus Hr – Herts, Beds
Matthew Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, BA (Hons), Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is another great article from our Chartered Institute through the HR inform service which highlights a number of changes in January 2024. Consensus HR previously wrote a blog that detailed planned and proposed Employment Law changes which are due to take place in 2024 and can be read in our blog section on our website and by Clicking Here. Consensus HR help companies have an outsourced HR dept at a fraction of the costs of having one in house and ensures their clients have access to a professional, best practice and legally compliant service.”
YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
For further information on any of the HR subjects we provide, please click the heading below:
