Key HR changes that are up and coming for April 2023

As the world of work continues to evolve, so do the laws that govern it. In April 2023, there will be a number of updates to employment law that employers and HR professionals need to be aware of. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the key changes that are up and coming for April 2023. 

National Living Wage increase 

From April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase. This means that all employees aged 23 and over will be entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £10.42. This represents an increase of 9.7% from the current rate of £9.50. 

Employers will need to ensure that they are paying their eligible employees at least the NLW, or they could face penalties and fines. It's important to note that this increase applies to both full-time and part-time workers, as well as those on zero-hours contracts. 

Right to Request Flexible Working 

Currently, employees who have been with their employer for at least 26 weeks have the right to request flexible working. From April 2023, this right will be extended to all employees from day one of their employment. 

This means that employers will need to be prepared to receive flexible working requests from all employees, not just those who have been with the company for a certain period of time. It's important for employers to have a clear policy in place for dealing with flexible working requests and to ensure that they are considering each request fairly and consistently. 

Parental Bereavement Leave 

In 2020, the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act was introduced, which gave employees the right to take paid time off work following the loss of a child. From April 2023, this right will be extended to include stillbirths that occur after 24 weeks of pregnancy. 

Employers will need to ensure that they have a clear policy in place for dealing with requests for parental bereavement leave and that they are providing support and flexibility to employees during this difficult time. 

Gender Pay Gap Reporting 

Currently, organisations with 250 or more employees are required to publish their gender pay gap data annually. From April 2023, this reporting requirement will be extended to include ethnicity pay gap reporting for employers with 250 or more employees. 

This means that employers will need to collect and publish data on the pay and bonuses of their employees broken down by ethnicity, as well as gender. This data will need to be published on the employer's website and submitted to the government.