From a ban on fire and re-hire to workers’ rights from day one. What does Labour’s pledge mean for your clients?
Return this great nation to the service of working people
Specialists in Commercial Liability and Legal Expenses
Every organisation and every sector face unique business critical risks.
From SMEs and sole traders to larger corporates, we understand the associated risks and rewards of running these businesses. That’s why we are best placed to protect them.
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Are your terms and conditions fit for work?
Labour promised to make work pay. They promised to overhaul the employment legislative landscape to get better pay and conditions for the UK’s 33.09 million employed workforce.
They meant business.
Many of their planned reforms hit the headlines. From banning unpaid internships and zero hours contracts to employees having the right to request flexible working arrangements from day one. The latest radical plan to introduce a 4-day working week for full time employees is also big news.
But what other reforms can we expect in the last quarter of 2024 that haven’t quite made the front pages?
Irwell’s Senior Class Underwriter in Legal Expenses, Billi Cobley summarises seven changes employers should be prepared for to avoid exposing themselves to the risks of costly, stressful and time-consuming tribunals.
1. Stable and predictable contracts
Workers with unpredictable working hours, or a fixed-term contract of less than 12 months, will have a right to request a more stable and predictable contract after 26 weeks of service.
2. Fire and re-hire
A new statutory code of practice will set out a procedure for employers to follow when considering dismissals for employees who do not agree to changes to their terms and conditions.
3. Harassment and bullying
A duty requiring employers to proactively prevent sexual harassment by taking “reasonable steps” will be introduced.
The Bullying and Respect at Work Bill proposes a statutory definition of bullying and will allow employees to bring a standalone claim in a tribunal.
4. Pensions
Under proposed pension auto-enrolment rules, the lower earnings threshold will be removed and those aged under 22 will be in scope of the scheme.
5. Gender pay gap
Regulatory exemptions from gender pay gap reporting will be extended to businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
6. Paternity leave
Legislation will be introduced to allow employees to take paternity leave within the first year after the birth and also split the leave into two blocks as long as they give 4 weeks’ notice of the dates when they wish to take the leave.
7. Neonatal care leave
Under the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023, parents of babies who are admitted to hospital before 28 days old for at least one week will get a maximum of 12 weeks paid statutory leave in addition to their maternity or paternity leave.
Tribunals on the rise
In 2023/24, employment tribunal receipts and disposals increased by 7% and 16% year-on-year. Meanwhile, open cases increased by 3% to 653,000 over the same period.
This rise in cases underscores the need for an appreciation of employment legislation, having preventative measures and HR policies in place – and legal expenses protection that can ease the burden should a legal issue arise.
Source
Keeping the food and drink sector better protected
Working in the hospitality sector can be a rewarding business but working in bars, cafes, restaurants and pubs come with many unique sector risks. Keeping employees and the public safe and ensuring food hygiene standards are met are vitally important. And protecting those Tripadvisor reviews and food hygiene ratings.
But for many hospitality owners or managers, the first time they find out that they are under-insured or non-compliant with health and safety regulations is when it’s too late – following an accident, a claim or an enforcement visit.
Reforming the UK’s rental market
Irwell’s Senior Class Underwriter, Bill Cobley looks at what the new government’s initiatives mean for private tenants and landlords.
The UK’s rental market is in crisis. Plagued by substandard housing standards, an imbalance between supply and demand, soaring costs, arrears on the rise along with the uncertainty of Section 21, the new Government has a lot to tackle to rebuild the rental market.
Labour is selling itself as the party of “wealth creation”, vowing to improve living standards for working people. Within Labour’s legislative programme, two aspects stand out which will impact landlords and renters alike.
Firstly, the Planning and Infrastructure Reform Proposal sets out to accelerate the quantity, and improve the quality, of the UK’s housing stock.
Meanwhile The Renters’ Rights Bill will address the insecurity and injustice that many renters and landlords experience by fundamentally reforming the private rented sector and improving the quality of housing in it.
Ending the bad housing pandemic
Government statistics around bad housing make difficult reading.
There are 3.5 million households in England that fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
2.3 million households are living in a home with at least one Category 1 hazard.
935,000 households are living in a home with damp problems.
Almost one quarter of private rented households (23%) live in a home that fails to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
The government’s ‘Decent Homes Standard is defined as homes that are overcrowded or housing which is damp, cold, infested or lacks modern facilities or is in need of substantial structural repairs.
This unacceptable trajectory cannot continue and must be addressed by all stakeholders.
How does the Government plan to improve substandard housing conditions?
With one in six UK homes at risk of flooding and the UK 9% wetter than 50 years ago, the insurance sector has experienced a surge in unprecedented flood insurance claims in recent years. Fuelled by the housing and climate crisis, Labour pledges to ‘Get Britain building’, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high-quality homes and communities.
The Planning and Infrastructure Reform Proposal aims to create 1.5m new homes in areas with minimal risk of flooding and will implement measures to tackle resilience to climate change by improving building standards.
The proposal should result in properties that are fit for the future and can withstand flooding, extreme temperatures, high winds and subsidence, as well as improving fire safety and energy efficiency.
How does the Government plan to improve the private rental market?
The new Government is determined to transform the experience of private renting by levelling the playing field between landlord and tenant.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will end Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to give renters more rights and protections to stay in their homes for longer.
Meanwhile fair landlords will enjoy robust grounds for possession where there is good reason to take their property back.
However, unscrupulous landlords take heed, the Bill will crack down on those who exploit, mistreat or discriminate against tenants with poor practices such as ‘bad housing’, unfair rent increases or bidding wars intended to force tenants out.
This greater stability will allow renters to build lives in their local communities without the fear of eviction or homelessness and give landlords continuity of rental income.
How can landlords better protect their business?
Research by The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) found that almost one fifth of UK homes are now privately rented resulting in over 4.6 million rented properties. Demand for rental properties has more than tripled compared with the demand before the COVID pandemic.
However, 12% of landlords said they sold property in the third quarter of 2023 and 28% of respondents said they plan to cut the number of properties they rent out over the next 12 months*.
With this rental property shortfall, rent arrears on the rise and new legislation reforms imminent, it pays for private landlords to be prudent.
If landlord-tenant disagreements arise, legal costs can quickly escalate, and some landlords may not have the resources to pursue potentially lengthy and expensive legal proceedings against a tenant. That’s where Irwell can help.
Irwell’s landlord’s legal expenses protection allows clients to pursue or defend their legal rights and provides invaluable legal advice throughout proceedings. Likewise, if you become involved in a dispute with the tenant relating to the owning or letting of the property or if a tenant has damaged the property, our insurance covers the associated legal costs.
For residential clients, our policy can extend to include rent guarantee for added reassurance, whilst the landlord is using the policy to obtain repossession of their property.
*www.nrla.org.uk/news/monthly-bulletin/202312/rented-housing-demand-triples-say-landlords
Keeping hotels and hospitality better protected
Working in the hotel and hospitality sector comes with unique risks.
From front desk to back kitchen, protecting employees and customers is of paramount importance. And at the same time protecting those Tripadvisor reviews.
But for many hospitality owners or managers, the first time they find out that they are under-insured or non-compliant with health and safety regulations is when it’s too late – following an accident, a claim or an enforcement visit.
National Insurance Awareness Day.
Yes, there is one. Really. Us insurers have our day on 28 June. The day after National Bingo Awareness Day.
Insurance isn’t renowned for being a hot topic round the dinner party table or down the pub. It’s a grudge purchase. A necessary evil. Something most people and businesses try not to think about until the dreaded renewal day – or in the event of an unwelcome accident or incident.
That’s when us insurers become the unsung heroes of the FS world. We’re there to save the day when the hammers come down.
Insurance in the UK rose like a phoenix from the flames around the time of the Great Fire of London, where the devastation drove some canny cockney to conjure the idea of property insurance.
From there sprang the many forms of insurance we know today – from home and motor to health, wealth and business liability to alien abduction, ghosts and body parts.
Yes, you read that right.
Insurance that’s out of this world.
If you have ghosts haunting your business, who you gonna call? Maybe your insurer wouldn’t be your first port of call, but believe it or not, some UK business owners have insurance policies to protect their business and employees from the spooky supernatural.
You may not believe in aliens, but it turns out that many do. One London company has sold more than 30,000 alien abduction policies throughout Europe.
Meanwhile, back on planet earth, Julia Roberts has reportedly insured her smile for $30 million, Beckham’s legs are protected by a $195 million policy and Keith Richards hands have a $1 million price tag.
National Insurance Awareness Day was created to remind people and businesses about the importance of their insurance plans and policies.
We couldn’t agree more. With over 30 years’ liability experience, we’re an old hand in the insurance world. Or so we thought.
Insurance actually dates back to 3000-2000 BC and was even found inscribed on the Code of Hammurabi, the first written laws.
Share that little known fascinating insurance fact at you next diner party or board meeting.
#nationalinsuranceawarenessday
Keeping scaffolding businesses better protected
Scaffolding businesses are essential to so many sectors as well as the most obvious construction industry. From building inspection and civil engineering to window cleaning, painting, TV production and events.
But working on suspended, aerial or supported scaffolding comes with many unique health and safety risks that can expose employees and the general public to H&S risks on a daily basis.
That’s why scaffolders need Irwell’s liability insurance that includes a health and safety compliance review tailored to the unique risks of each business.
Keeping vehicle sales, repairs and motor trades better protected
From car sales and valeting to tyre fitting, repairs and maintenance, the motor sector is exposed to many unique health and safety risks.
Operating mechanical equipment, diagnostics and hydraulics, lifting heavy objects and working under heavy vehicles or fuel spillages and fire hazards can expose employees and customers to H&S risks on a daily basis.
That’s why motor businesses need Irwell’s liability insurance that includes a health and safety compliance review tailored to the unique risks of each business.
Keeping transport and logistics businesses better protected
The commercial transportation sector is essential to so many industries, including manufacturing, construction and retail.
But transporting raw materials and finished products to and from facilities, tracking shipments and delivering goods to customers can come with many unique health and safety risks.
Operating potentially dangerous loading and unloading equipment, driving haulage fleets that can involve long and tiring journeys can expose employees and the general public to H&S risks on a daily basis.
That’s why logistics businesses need Irwell’s liability insurance that includes a health and safety compliance review tailored to the unique risks of each business.