From 6 April 2024, flexible working requests became a day-one right and the number of requests has doubled to two per year.

 

The request must be considered within two months and the employee must be consulted before the employer can refuse a request.

 

There is no longer a requirement for the employee to explain how the flexible arrangement will work.

 

There is also a revised ACAS Code of Practice on requests for flexible working which reflects the changes and supports employers and employees in relation to the new scheme.  When deciding complaints relating to the statutory scheme for flexible working, Employment Tribunals will be required to take into account the ACAS Code, where relevant.

 

Employment Rights Bills

 

It is also proposed, under the Employment Rights Bill, published on 10 October 2024 that other changes will take place to the law on requesting flexible working.

 

It is proposed that any refusal of a flexible working request by an employer, will still need to be from a list of specified grounds, as under the current law; however, the employer will also have to act reasonably in the manner in which it considers the request (as currently), as well as act reasonably in refusing the request, on the specified ground(s) which it states.

 

Where the employee’s request is refused, the employer will be required to explain in writing to the employee, the ground(s) for refusal and why it is reasonable to refuse the application on those ground(s).

 

The Government has not yet announced a date when changes outlined in the Employment Rights Bill will become law but it may not be until Autumn 2026.

 

If you would like to discuss any employment matter, please contact Julia Woodhouse on 01926 831231 or jhw@blytheliggins.co.uk.

 

Julia is an Employment Solicitor based in Leamington Spa and advises clients across Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and further afield.

 

The above does not constitute legal advice.

Additional redundancy protection cover for pregnant employees, employees taking maternity leave, adoption leave or shared parental leave, was introduced on 6 April 2024.

If there are any suitable alternative vacancies in a redundancy situation, an employer must offer them to employees who have this redundancy protection (in priority over other employees).

The timing of the protection is as follows:-

• protection begins when an employee informs her employer that she is pregnant and protection ends 18 months from the date of birth. In the event of a miscarriage within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, protection ends within 2 weeks and in the event of a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, protection ends after 18 months from the stillbirth

 

• protection begins from the date of adoption placement or the date the child entered Great Britain (if an overseas adoption) and ends 18 months later

 

• taking shared parental leave triggers protection immediately. If less than 6 weeks is taken, protection ends on the last day of a block of leave. Alternatively, if 6 weeks or more continuous leave is taken, protection ends 18 months following childbirth or an adoption placement.

Employment Rights Bill

It is also proposed, under the Employment Rights Bill, published on 10 October 2024 that there will be additional protections against dismissal of employees during or after a protected period of pregnancy, extending the above protections on redundancy. It is further proposed to extend protection in respect of dismissal after a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.

The Government has not yet announced a date when changes outlined in the Employment Rights Bill will become law but it may not be until Autumn 2026.

If you would like to discuss any employment matter, please contact Julia Woodhouse on 01926 831231 or jhw@blytheliggins.co.uk.

Julia is an Employment Solicitor based in Leamington Spa and advises clients across Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and further afield.

 

The above does not constitute legal advice.

 

The statutory entitlement to Paternity Leave for employee, changed on 6 April 2024:-

• the leave can now be split into a single period of either one or two weeks or two non-consecutive periods of one week each
• it can be taken at any point within 52 weeks of the birth or adoption placement or within 52 weeks of the first day of the Expected Week of Childbirth (if the child was born early) and
• the period of notice which the employee must give his employer of his chosen start date is at least 28 days before the chosen start date (or no more than seven days after the adoption agency notifies the employee of being matched with a child) or as soon as the employee reasonably can.

Currently, the statutory weekly rate of Statutory Paternity Pay is the lower of £184.03 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings.

Employment Rights Bill

It is also proposed, under the Employment Rights Bill, published on 10 October 2024 that paternity leave (and the separate right of unpaid parental leave) will apply from the first day of employment.

The Government has not yet announced a date when changes outlined in the Employment Rights Bill will become law but it may not be until Autumn 2026.

If you would like to discuss any employment matter, please contact Julia Woodhouse on 01926 831231 or jhw@blytheliggins.co.uk.

Julia is an Employment Solicitor based in Leamington Spa and advises clients across Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and further afield.

The above does not constitute legal advice.

There is now a day-one right for employees to take up to one week’s unpaid leave in a rolling 12 month period, to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. An employee is only entitled to one week’s leave, irrespective of how many dependants the employee has.

 

A dependant is:

 

• a spouse, civil partner, partner, child or parent of the employee or
• anyone who lives in the same household as the employee (but not tenants, lodgers, boarders or employees) or
• anyone who relies on the employee for care, such as an elderly neighbour.

A person with long-term care needs is someone with an illness or injury that requires or is likely to require care for more than three months; has a disability under the Equality Act 2010; or requires care for a reason connected with old age.

 

The leave can be taken in either half-days, full days or one entire week. The employee needs to give notice to exercise the right which is the greater of three days or double the leave requested. The notice does not need to be in writing.

 

Employers cannot decline the request but may postpone the leave, in certain circumstances.

 

If you would like to discuss any employment matter, please contact Julia Woodhouse on 01926 831231 or jhw@blytheliggins.co.uk.

 

Julia is an Employment Solicitor based in Leamington Spa and advises clients across Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and further afield.

 

The above does not constitute legal advice.

 

There are new annual leave rules relating to irregular hours and part-year workers which apply in respect of any leave year beginning on or after 1st April 2024. The Department for Business and Trade updated its guidance on the new rules regarding holiday entitlement which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplifying-holiday-entitlement-and-holiday-pay-calculations/holiday-pay-and-entitlement-reforms-from-1-january-2024

If you would like to discuss any employment matter, please contact Julia Woodhouse on 01926 831231 or jhw@blytheliggins.co.uk.

Julia is an Employment Solicitor based in Leamington Spa and advises clients across Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and further afield.

The above does not constitute legal advice.

After taking office in the summer, the Government announced key employment law measures in the King’s Speech.  The Employment Rights Bill is expected to be introduced within the first 100 days of the Government taking office but the changes will need to pass through Parliament first, before becoming law. According to the background briefing notes on the King’s Speech, the Bill will include provisions to:

1. make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal a “day one” right (subject to probationary periods to assess new hire
2. strengthen statutory sick pay, by removing the lower earnings limit as well as the three-day waiting period
3. make flexible working the default from “day one” for all workers, with employers required to accommodate this as far as is reasonable, to reflect the modern workplace
4. strengthen protections for new mothers, by making it unlawful to dismiss a woman who has had a baby for six months after her return to work, except in specific circumstance
5. ban “exploitative” zero-hour contracts, ensuring workers have a right to a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work and that all workers get reasonable notice of any changes in shifts, with proportionate compensation for any shifts cancelled or curtaile
6. end the practice of “fire and rehire” and “fire and replace” by reforming the law to provide effective remedies and replacing the previous Government’s statutory Code of Practic
7. create the Fair Work Agency, to strengthen enforcement of workplace right
8. introduce a Fair Pay Agreement in the adult social care sector and, following review, assess how and to what extent such agreements could benefit other sector
9. update trade union legislation, removing certain restrictions on trade union activity – including the previous Government’s approach to minimum service levels – and ensuring industrial relations are based around good faith negotiation and bargainin
10. simplify the process of statutory recognition and introduce a regulated route to ensure workers and union members have a reasonable right to access a union within workplaces an
11. reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, to establish national terms and conditions, career progression routes and fair pay rates.

There is also a draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill which is intended to enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people; the briefing notes claim that this will make it easier for them to bring pay discrimination claims. It will also introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for employers with 250+ employees, to help close the ethnicity and disability pay gaps.

If you would like to discuss any employment matter contact, please Julia Woodhouse at 01926 831231 or jhw@blytheliggins.co.uk.

Julia is an Employment Solicitor based in Leamington Spa and advises clients across Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and further afield.

The above does not provide you with legal advice.

The summer holidays are soon upon us. No doubt the child arrangements were agreed some time ago, and the intention is those arrangements go to plan.

However, you may have experienced difficulties in previous summer holidays and if you’re worried about the forthcoming arrangements for the summer break, it’s advisable to seek urgent advice from a specialist family law solicitor before it is too late.

Any arrangements for children should be agreed between the parents on the basis that both share parental responsibilities, so any decisions should be made jointly. In some situations, parents may find it difficult to comply with the arrangements.

In some cases, it can be justified, but in others it may not. Instead of focusing on children, one parent may be focused on unresolved adult issues which shouldn’t be part of the discussions regarding arrangements for the children.

The preference is for an informal agreement but, in some cases, a written agreement may be preferable so both parties are clear on the arrangements.

If difficulties remain, it may be necessary to seek advice from a solicitor, consider other avenues for dispute resolution (such as mediation or arbitration) and in the worst-case scenario, a court application may need to be made.

This will ensure clarity on the arrangements and most importantly, ensure stability for the children, who should know when they are spending time with each parent.

A Child Arrangement Order can also ensure any arrangements fit in with the children’s existing routines, as well as the time they spend with their own friends.

If you have any anxieties about the arrangements with your ex-partner, or worry they may not comply with the agreement, you must get in touch with a specialist family law solicitor. They will be able to guide you on the next best steps available.

The paramount consideration is always the welfare of the children and what is in their best interests. So, when negotiating arrangements for the children, this must be the focus, rather than the preference of either parent.

If the agreement is clear, child-focused, and provides stability and security for the children, then everyone should look forward to the forthcoming summer holidays.

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

CAPTION: Sophia Mellor, head of family law at Blythe Liggins Solicitors, Leamington Spa.

Thousands of runners took part in one of Warwickshire’s biggest sporting spectacles, the Two Castles Run, at the weekend.

It was the first time the event, once again sponsored by Leamington law firm Blythe Liggins Solicitors, has been fully booked since the pandemic and runners were rewarded with almost perfect conditions.

Bumper crowds also enjoyed the 40^th staging of the renowned run between Warwick and Kenilworth castles on Sunday (June 9) which, once again, lived up to its billing as one of the leading 10k runs in the country.

This year’s race, which had 4,500 places available, was organised by Kenilworth Runners in conjunction with Kenilworth Rotary and Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club.

Race organiser, Richard Clarke from Kenilworth Runners, said: “It was an impressive field of runners and befitting the Two Castles Run as it celebrates its 40^th anniversary.

“Seeing so many competitors trying their best was a fantastic spectacle and was matched by the support they were given by crowds along the route.”

Callum Hanlon (Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club) was first past the finishing line for the third year in a row, this time finishing in 31m 39s. In second place was Ian Allen (Spa Striders) who finished in 32m 01s, while Andrew Lawrence (Stratford upon Avon AC) came third finishing in 32m 18s.

Olivia Bailey (Nuneaton Harriers) was the first woman home in a time of 38m 42s, while second place was claimed by Zara Hadfield (Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club) who completed the course in 40m 07s. Lotta Crofts (Kenilworth Runners) completed the top three with a time of 40m 47s.

It was the 19th year Blythe Liggins was the event’s headline sponsor, with the firm also fielding a squad of 15 runners, as well as providing water station helpers.

Donna Bothamley, head of wills and probate at sponsors Blythe Liggins Solicitors, said: “The Two Castles Run just gets better and better.

“It was a very large of field of runners, which provided great viewing for those who came out to watch and support.

“More importantly though, such a high number of competitors bodes well for the fundraising efforts that helps charities in the local area and further afield.”

The Two Castles Run is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers and annually raises thousands of pounds for local and national charities.

To see the full results of the Two Castles, visit www.dbmax.co.uk/results.

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk

CAPTION:

• David Lester, senior partner at Blythe Liggins, Alan Chalmers, Mayor of Kenilworth, David Morgan, President of Kenilworth Rotary, Olivia Bailey, 1st placed female, Callum Hanlon, 1st placed male

Four-and-a-half-thousand runners will be tackling the famous Two Castles Run this weekend – the first time it’s been fully booked since the pandemic.

The popular annual fundraising run will see participants tackle the 10km course between Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle on Sunday, June 9, and is once again sponsored by Leamington Spa solicitors Blythe Liggins.

The Two Castles Run, which attracts entrants from all over the country and is celebrating 40 years in 2024, is organised by the Kenilworth Runners in conjunction with Kenilworth Rotary and Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club.

Donna Bothamley, head of wills and probate at Blythe Liggins Solicitors, said: “We’re delighted that all the places for the Two Castles Run have been filled and it’s going to be spectacular seeing thousands of runners on the roads of Warwickshire.

“Such a high number of entrants also bodes well for the numerous charities that benefit from the terrific fundraising efforts of the competitors.”

Richard Clarke, race director from the Kenilworth Runners, said: “It’s going to be a fantastic turnout for the 2024 Two Castles Run as it appears that the appeal of running between two of England’s final castles is stronger than ever.

“Our respect and thanks go to all the competitors and, just as importantly, to all those who will be helping on the day to make the event possible.”

To learn more about the 2024 Two Castles Run, visit www.twocastlesrun.org.uk.

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

CAPTION: The Two Castles Run, sponsored by Blythe Liggins, takes place on Sunday, June 9.

A mum from Rugby has held a fundraiser in memory of her daughter and raised over £8,000 for the charity which supported her family in its time of need.

Lois Zapasnik’s three-year-old daughter Elsa suffered from a rare genetic mutation that created profound disabilities and which ended her life far too soon, in summer 2023.

Lois is determined to do as much as possible for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice in Coventry, where she has also become a trustee, so organised the fun-packed spring fete in Rugby which included classic games such as hook a duck and tin can alley.

There was arts and crafts for the children to take part in, face painting, a Shetland pony, performances from SCDC dance school in Rugby and cheerleaders from JNB in Stratford, along with a surprise appearance from a real life Princess Elsa.

Lois, who is a solicitor at Blythe Liggins in Leamington Spa where she is known by her maiden name Harrison, said: “Zoe’s Place provided invaluable support to Elsa and our family when we needed it most, and I will be forever grateful.

“In return, I hope to help Zoe’s Place in any way I can. The spring fete was a great success and my heartfelt thanks go to all those who made it possible and the many people who came along and supported it, while having a fun time.

“It has raised more than I expected and I hope to organise another one in the future.”

Zoe’s Place, which also has baby hospices in Liverpool and Middlesbrough, cares for babies and young children with life-limiting, life-threatening or complex conditions.

It is a registered charity and all its care is provided free of charge to families who need it. It could not carry out its work without the support of local friends, communities and businesses who raise funds in many different ways.

Lois added: “Elsa was an incredible little girl and we will always be proud of our little fighter.

“When we needed support, Zoe’s Place provided it in so many ways, such as looking after Elsa for respite overnight stays, which allowed us to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

“She also had a wonderful time at Zoe’s Place, engaging in activities that would not have been accessible to her anywhere else.

“The team at Zoe’s Place became part of our family and treated Elsa like their own. I will continue to help raise funds, and the profile, of Zoe’s Place, so more families like ours can benefit from their incredible work and to carry on the legacy Elsa created.”

For more information about Zoe’s Place, visit www.zoes-place.org.uk.

CAPTION: Lois Harrison, Solicitor at Blythe Liggins organises fundraiser spring fete in memory of her daughter.