Proposed Changes in the Employment (Amendment) Bill:
The Employment (Amendment) Bill, currently being drafted by the Department for Enterprise, aims to introduce new rights concerning rest breaks. While the exact details are still being finalised, the bill is expected to include:
Statutory Right to Rest Breaks for All Workers: The proposed legislation seeks to ensure that all workers, regardless of their employment status, have a statutory right to rest breaks. This aims to extend protections to categories of workers who may not have been explicitly covered under previous regulations.
Rest Periods Between Working Shifts: The bill intends to introduce mandatory rest periods between shifts to prevent fatigue and promote worker well-being.
It's important to note that while the current legislation specifies a 20-minute rest break for shifts longer than six hours, the proposed bill aims to broaden the scope of who is entitled to rest breaks and may introduce additional provisions regarding rest periods between shifts. However, as of now, the specific details regarding the duration and frequency of these breaks under the new legislation have not been explicitly outlined.
Employers should stay informed about these developments to ensure compliance and to support the health and well-being of their employees. We will of course provide further updates when the details of the bill are released.
What’s Not Going Ahead (For Now):
Maternity Redundancy Protections
Although the issue of increased protections for women on maternity leave was considered, the government has chosen not to move forward with changes at this time, though the area will continue to be monitored.
Annual Leave Increases Under Review
The DfE is also considering changes to statutory annual leave, but any potential adjustments are not expected immediately. Just over half (52%) of consultation responses supported increasing holiday entitlements.
Information and advice on how to effectively manage rest breaks is available by contacting the DSE team. Further reading is also available, including current legislation.
