As another year draws to a close, managers and HR professionals are casting an eye to the year ahead. So what changes will 2019 hold for those of us managing annual leave and workplace absence? There aren’t many specific rule changes in the pipeline for 2019 yet, but here are a few things we think are worth keeping an eye on.
Details on Bereavement Leave for Parents
Earlier this year the UK government announced a measure that will give parents a legal right to paid leave if they suffer the loss of a child. The measure will not come into effect until 2020, but during the course of 2019, we should see the exact details of how this will be expected to work.
More people classified as Workers
The past few years have seen a rise in the so-called gig economy, with more people being engaged in work on a self-employed basis. For many self-employed people and their clients, this arrangement works well, but for others, it falls short of the employment they were looking for. In a series of cases in the UK, the USA, and Europe, people ranging from plumbers to Uber drivers have secured employment rights, including holiday pay and parental leave by being declared “workers” rather than self-employed. If your business uses freelancers, it will be important to keep an eye on this trend.
Changes to Payslip Requirements
On 6th April 2019 new rules come into effect in the UK concerning the information that appears on payslips. From then payslip information will need to show the number of hours worked (or holiday paid for) for all staff whose pay changes with the number of hours they work. You will also need to provide payslips to “workers” as well as employees.
The Brexit Effect
A lot of the details are still up in the air, but Britain will be leaving the EU in April 2019. Although a transitional period is expected, the change will mean that some employment rules that had previously been decided at a European level will now be made in Westminster. The government is currently saying that there are no plans to change existing rules or entitlements, but the changes may mean that over time UK rules and policies start to differ more from those of EU countries.
Political Changes in the USA
In another “watch this space” development, Democrats’ success in November’s US congressional elections means that they will now control the House of Representatives. Many Democrats campaigned on issues surrounding the right to paid maternity leave or annual leave, so we may see bills introduced affecting these. With a Republican-controlled Senate and a Republican president, any bill would face an uphill struggle to become law, but the publicity surrounding a debate on these issues could affect future public policy on employees’ holiday rights.
We’ve got you covered
Any prediction of the future is by its nature uncertain, as events and politics can change the best-laid plans. New laws may be introduced or old ones changed at short notice. One thing you can rely on is that at LeaveWizard our dedicated team will keep abreast of any changes. This makes sure that our software is up to date and our customers can carry on with seamless annual leave management wherever in the world they employ staff, safe in the knowledge that they can easily incorporate the law into their holiday policies.
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