Employment law changes taking effect today Thursday 1st October – are you ready?
Two significant changes to employment law come into force today, with important implications for employers.
1. Employer liability for third-party harassment
Employers can now face liability for harassment of their employees by third parties, including customers, clients, service users and members of the public.
This means the focus in potential Tribunal claims will not simply be on whether harassment occurred, but also on what the employer did to prevent it.
Having a generic policy in place is no longer enough, and employers should be considering whether they have:
- Appropriate risk assessments in place
- Effective harassment and equality training
- Clear and accessible reporting procedures
- Practical measures to reduce the risk of harassment occurring in the first place
2. Employment Tribunal time limits are increasing
For most employment claims, the time limit for bringing a claim will increase from three months to six months.
This gives employees a longer period in which to bring a claim and makes it even more important for employers to ensure that records, investigations, correspondence and decision-making processes are property documented and retained.
What should employers do now?
If you haven’t reviewed your harassment policies, training and reporting procedures recently, now is the time to do so.
If you are an employer and would like advice on how these changes affect your business, or need help reviewing your polices, training or procedures, please get in touch with our dedicated solicitors on Litigation Team GWCA Solicitors