A SEMINAR BY DANIEL BARNETT

THE EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL

A half-day seminar, recorded on 29 October 2024, explaining what you need to know about the Government's new employment legislation.

Price: £165+VAT

The Employment Rights Bill fundamentally shifts the balance of power between employers and workers.

Hailed as the biggest shake-up of employment rights in the last 25 years, every employment lawyer and HR Professional needs to understand these changes.

Hosted by barrister Daniel Barnett in November 2024, this half-day on-demand seminar arms you with a complete understanding of the key sections of the 158-page Bill, and gives you practical strategies and suggestions of what to do NOW to make sure you are ready when it comes into force.

The content (full content below) includes:

  • the (pretty much) complete abolition of fire and rehire

  • what it means now that unfair dismissal is becoming a 'day one' right

  • what the government is thinking about doing for probationary periods
  • sweeping new rights for zero-hours workers

  • introduction of liability for third party sexual harassment
  • the new rules protecting expectant and new mothers
  • and much more...

FULL CONTENT:

1. The (Almost) Complete Ban on 'Fire and Rehire'

This is huge.  

The Employment Rights Bill will make it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee for refusing a contract variation, effectively banning 'fire and rehire' or 'fire and replace' (as seen in the P&O case).

There is a very limited defence when a dismissal will not be automatically unfair (but must still be reasonable).  That is where an employer is in dire financial straits and about to collapse.  Few employers will be able to rely on this.

You'll learn:

 - how the Employment Rights Bill impacts the fairness of dismissals related to contract variations

 - the specific circumstances under which an employer can lawfully 'fire and rehire' under the new Bill

 - the exception that allows employers to dismiss an employee during financial difficulties

 - how employers might use variation clauses to avoid fire and rehire restrictions, and what the risks are

 - the changes expected to the role of interim relief applications, and lifting the protective award cap, which will further influence dismissal and re-engagement

2. Unfair Dismissal as a 'Day One' Right

The two year qualifying period for unfair dismissal will be removed. Employees will have the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one, as long as they’ve started work.  But separate rules will apply during probationary periods (referred to in the Bill as the 'initial period of employment').

You'll learn:

- how the removal of the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal will affect employees' rights from day one.

 - what are the potential implications of a statutory six- or nine- month probationary period under the Employment Rights Bill?

 - what are the key factors tribunals are likely to consider when assessing dismissals during the probationary period under the new legislation?

 - what considerations will be part of the consultation process for new unfair dismissal protections and compensation regimes during probationary periods?

3. Zero-hour contracts

Labour has stated, for some time, that it will abolish 'exploitative' zero hours contracts.  But nobody knew how it was going to do that, whilst preserving the flexibility that zero hours contracts give to both workers and employers.

The clauses in the Bill dealing with this are staggeringly complex, and there is still considerable detail to come by way of statutory instrument.  All employment lawyers and HR Professionals will need to get to grips with these rules.

You'll learn:

 - how will the new right to 'guaranteed hours' for zero hours workers operate?  What happens if employers don't offer the 'guaranteed hours' contract as required?

 - what is the new concept of 'reasonable notice' of cancellation of a shift?  How can the employer and worker know what 'reasonable notice' means?

 - when can zero hour workers (or workers with unpredictable shift patterns) refuse shifts at short notice?

 - when zero hour workers (or workers with unpredictable shift patterns) have shifts cancelled at short (or no) notice, what compensation is available and how do they claim it?

 - what measures does the Bill contain to prevent employers from offering a '30 minute' or 'one hour' contract, in place of a zero hour contract, to avoid these rules?


4. Introduction of Liability for Third Party Harassment

Remember the Bernard Manning case?  And the 'three strikes and you're out' rule that used to exist for third party harassment?

The new Bill imposes direct liability for employers if they fail to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment by third parties (such as customers, service users or suppliers) on their workforce.

You'll discover:

 - what is the difference between 'reasonable steps' and 'all reasonable steps' in the context of third-party harassment under the Equality Act and Employment Rights Bill?

 - how will the new provisions of the Employment Rights Bill affect the compensation awarded for failure to prevent third-party sexual harassment?

 - what risk assessments and preventative measures should employers have in place to comply with the new duties regarding sexual harassment?

 - how should employers update their policies and train staff to handle sexual harassment complaints effectively?

5. Trade Union and Collective Bargaining Reform

The Employment Rights Bill contains a huge amount on trade union rights and collective bargaining - largely repealing the last 15 years of Conservative legislation.  We'll only cover this briefly, but the seminar will touch on:

 - what new things need to be included in the written statement of particulars of employment

 - trade union rights to request an 'access to the workplace' agreement from employers (to provide access to meet members, recruit new members, support a member with an employment related matter, or to facilitate collective bargaining)

 - how the Central Arbitration Committee can compel employers to recognise a trade union more easily

 - simplifying industrial action ballots

 - additional protection against trade union detriment

6. And much, much more...

There's only so much we can cover in half a day.  The Employment Rights Bill contains other important, but smaller, changes to employment law.  Some of the ones we will (briefly) touch on include:

 - the minor changes to flexible working rules, falling far short of the government's promise to make flexible working the 'default'

 - minor extensions to the right to bereavement leave

 - enhanced protection for new mothers

 - removing the three day waiting period (and lower earnings limit) for statutory sick pay

 - increased reporting obligations for large employers on gender pay gap and menopause issues

 - changing the definition of 'establishment' for collective redundancy consultation, so it will affect more workplaces and benefit more employees.

BONUS:

Free BOOK

When you register, we'll also send you a free .pdf copy of Daniel Barnett's book on 'Conflict At Work'

LIFETIME ACCESS TO RECORDINGS

We have recorded the entire seminar, including the Q&A session, and you have lifelong access to all of it.

This means you can revisit key points at your own pace, and you'll have the flexibility to watch the seminar at a time that suits you.

FAQs

What exactly will I learn in this seminar?

Errr... scroll up!

Who is this seminar designed for?

Employment lawyers and HR professionals who will have to advise on, or implement, the provisions of the Employment Rights Bill.

How long is the seminar?

It last just under three hours.

Is there any guarantee?

Yes. A pretty good one, actually.

If you ask for your money back at any time within 12 months of purchase, we'll refund you with no questions asked. You don't even have to give us a reason.

Will you invoice me please?

There are three reasons we prefer card payment:

1. We like the simplicity of an automated business model.
2. We don’t want your finance department to insist we fill in a 10 page ‘new supplier’ form to get paid.
3. It’s not cost-effective for us to chase small unpaid invoices.

So we won't send you an invoice - you need to pay by card.  Sorry!

How is this seminar delivered?

It was originally delivered live over Zoom.  You now access to a recording.

When was the seminar recorded?

It was recorded on 29 October 2024, based upon the original iteration of the Employment Rights Bill.  The recording does not include mention of any subsequent amendments to the Bill.

Can I benefit from this seminar if I am new to HR and have no legal background?

I'm good at explaining stuff simply.  You don't need any legal qualifications to follow the content of the seminar, but if you have no HR or legal experience at all, it's not going to be suitable for you.


What is difference about this seminar compared to other legal training sessions?

This seminar is the only one that specifically focuses specifically explaining the forthcoming new laws from a practical perspective.

Is there any small print?

Yes. Here it is:-

1. We reserve the right to refuse to let you attend the seminar, even after you complete the order form. If we do refuse to let you attend, we will immediately return your money.

2. During the session, we give a general overview of the law. You should treat the content of the seminar as general guidance but not legal advice tailored to fit the needs of your situation.

3. More generally, any liability for negligence, breach of contract or anything else arising from the content of the seminar is limited to twice the fee you paid for to attend (or for the recordings).

4. You are not permitted to record the seminar yourself, nor to share any recordings we send you with other people.

5. The seminar was recorded on 29 October 2024.  Since then, proposed amendments to the Bill have been published and the Bill will inevitable undergo changes.  Be aware that some of the content may be out of date when you watch it.

GUARANTEE

Not 100% satisfied?

Ask for your money back within 365 days of purchase and we’ll refund you. No questions asked.

CONTACT

For enquiries, contact us.

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