Government confirms new “say what you pay” law
The government has confirmed plans to require employers to include salary information in job adverts and says it will introduce legislation “as soon as possible”. The move follows its consultation on equal pay and pay discrimination earlier this year, where 94% of respondents supported greater pay transparency. The government has yet to publish its formal consultation response, so important details on scope, implementation and enforcement of new pay transparency obligations remain outstanding. The reforms will bring Great Britain closer to the EU’s approach to pay transparency, although the EU regime goes further, including rights to pay information and restrictions on asking candidates about pay history. The announcement also follows guidance that the government published in March, which encourages employers to increase transparency around pay, promotion and rewards, including pay bands, promotion criteria, salary reviews and bonuses. Employers may therefore want to start reviewing recruitment and pay practices now. The proposed requirement also forms part of a wider equal pay agenda. The government’s response to its consultation earlier this year may also include commitments on strengthening job evaluation and equal pay audit requirements and introducing new enforcement arrangements. Its wider proposals could also extend equal pay protections beyond sex to disability and ethnicity.
New regulations change the Acas early conciliation process
Changes to the Acas early conciliation process will come into force on 26 November 2026. The new rules will require prospective claimants to provide more information when contacting Acas, including whether they want to reach a settlement. Where they do, they will need to provide further details about the dispute and consent to Acas contacting the prospective respondent. The rules will also simplify the process where a claimant raises multiple matters. Of greater interest for employers, Acas will be able to decide not to contact the prospective respondent where it concludes that settlement is not possible. In practice, this means an employer could receive no advance warning through early conciliation before an ET1 claim form arrives. Employers should therefore not assume that Acas will always make contact before ET proceedings begin and be alert to the possibility of postal service of claim forms, ensuring that post at office addresses is regularly checked.
Government announces new proposed statutory payment rates
The Department for Work and Pensions has announced proposed April 2027 increases to various statutory employment-related payments. Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, neonatal care and parental bereavement payments will increase to £201.11 per week (currently, £194.32). Statutory sick pay will increase to £127.55 (currently, £123.25).
Northern Ireland Good Jobs Bill stalls
The Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland has confirmed that the Good Jobs reforms will now not make it through before the next Assembly election. Earlier this year, the Department proposed significant changes to Northern Ireland employment law through an Employment Rights Bill following the ‘Good Jobs’ consultation. The proposals covered four themes: terms of employment, pay and benefits, voice and representation, and work-life balance. They would align Northern Ireland’s employment laws with those applicable in Great Britain in a number of areas, but would also leave significant divergence between the laws in both jurisdictions. The future of the Good Jobs reforms will now largely rest with the next Minister for the Economy, who will have to decide whether to revive or reshape the proposals and seek the necessary support from the new Executive and Assembly to take them forward. That means further uncertainty for Northern Ireland employers at a time when businesses operating in Great Britain are already preparing for substantial employment law reform. For employers operating across both jurisdictions, the practical challenge is an increasingly divergent employment law landscape, with different rights, obligations and implementation timetables to navigate.
Employment rights to expand for offshore renewable workers
The government plans to extend employment protections to offshore renewable and low-carbon workers as part of the Energy Independence Bill. The reforms aim to close a gap between protections for workers in the clean energy sector and those available to offshore oil and gas workers. Currently, employment law does not include renewable and low-carbon workers operating beyond the UK’s territorial sea, more than 12 nautical miles from the shoreline, within the definition of “offshore employment”. The government says this can result in workers receiving terms below UK employment standards. The Bill will amend the Employment Rights Act 1996, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and National Minimum Wage Act 1998 to cover offshore renewable and low-carbon workers in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone. It will also enable the government to apply the Working Time Regulations 1998 to offshore energy workers through secondary legislation. Once Parliament passes the Bill, the government intends to engage with key stakeholders before introducing secondary legislation extending existing protections, including unfair dismissal rights and the minimum wage. The reforms form part of the government’s wider ambition to create high-quality clean energy jobs and support the skilled workforce needed for the transition to clean energy.
Employment & Incentives Senior Associate Promotions
We are delighted to announce that several of our Employment and Incentives colleagues have advanced to Senior Associate this week. Congratulations to Olivia Ball, Sophia Broughton, Megan Dickenson, Harriet Gray, Laura Jordan and Cameron King. Please join us in congratulating them on this fantastic achievement and wishing them continued success!
