Your guide to the impending Brexit Freedom Bill and how it affects your duties as an employer
As an employer, the upcoming Brexit Freedom Bill will have a considerable impact on your duties and obligations, and it's vital that, before changes are put in place on 31 December 2023, you are ready. That may be a challenge in itself but what makes it even trickier is that the Bill is still being discussed in Parliament which means that the time in which to act may be limited. But don’t worry. This guide will walk you through the basics, tell you where to go for the latest updates (as they develop) and show you how you can get valuable support to be Bill ready when needed.
Firstly, what is the bill?
The Brexit Freedom Bill explained
It would be an understatement to say that leaving the EU is a complicated process. In fact, there are as many as 50,000 EU laws and regulations that the UK is currently subject to that, as of 31 December 2023, will automatically lapse in the UK, unless restated or replaced. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if new laws were not put in place?
As a result, the UK Government has established The Brexit Freedom Bill, or the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill as it is officially known, to review every regulation and put in place new or amended ones for the UK to follow. This is now going through the Houses of Parliament to allow a smooth end to the following of EU law.
What this means for employers
This new bill will ensure that the regulations in place in the EU to protect workers' rights shall not suddenly end in December 2023. Instead, they shall not just be continued, but in fact, improved, where possible. But there's a lot of ground to cover, including:
· TUPE
· Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations
· Agency Worker and Part Time Worker Regulations
· And more
There is great speculation over what changes will be made and it may be sometime until we have clarification. When first announced, the promise was to create "regulations tailor-made to the UK’s own needs, cutting red tape and supporting businesses to invest, stimulating economic growth across the UK economy" so let's hope this happens!
To ensure that you remain up-to-date with the best advice possible over the course of this year, and don't fall victim to wild speculation, we have pulled together the following list of expert sites which are closely monitoring the Bill’s progress through Parliament:
· People Management - media
· Seyfarth Shaw LLP – Global law firm
Then what?
How employers can react to the Bill
As a business owner, it's critical to be aware of new and upcoming legislation in order for your policies to remain up-to-date. To ensure this happens seamlessly you should turn towards an HR consultant who can help explain how the Brexit Freedom Bill will affect your workplace specifically. They will ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible when changes are put into place.
It’s not just about adhering with regulations either; there needs to also be careful communication between employers and employees far ahead of time - allowing everyone involved to understand what is happening before any transition occurs. After all, changes in legislation can sometimes put employers and employees at odds, but HR support can help smooth over any differences.
Ensuring a smooth transition to the post-Brexit world is possible with HR support - but it's important they're brought on board as early as possible. It takes months for an external team to really get up and running, so getting started sooner rather than later gives them time to gain an understanding of your business. Once that understanding is in place, strong lines of communication between both employers and employees will help ease any disruption caused by this new legislation; making sure you can make the most out of these changes without worrying about how they'll affect operations.
If you want to make sure your business is ready for the changes that come with Brexit, an outsourced HR team can provide invaluable help. They possess the know-how and expertise necessary to update policies, establish new regulations and implement any modified work processes—all while monitoring compliance along the way. So whether it's developing a strategy or dealing with operational details, investing in this type of support could be key to ensuring a seamless transition for everyone involved!
So please stay tuned on updates and if you'd like one-on-one advice, get in touch with us here.