While there have still been no signs of the promised Employment Bill, there has been some progress on some of the proposals previously expected to feature in the Bill. The government has given its backing to a Private Members’ Bill which will give up to 12 weeks of paid neonatal leave to employees as well as to a Private Member’s Bill which will make it unlawful for employers to withhold tips from staff.
The Neonatal Care Bill
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill will allow parents to take a week of paid leave for every week their baby is in neonatal care. This is in addition to their maternity/paternity leave, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. The extension to their allowance will enable them to spend more time with their baby who, having been born prematurely or sick, is receiving neonatal care in a hospital or other agreed care setting. Currently, parents in such circumstances have to use their existing leave entitlements to be by their baby’s side, or worse, have to return to work while their baby is still receiving hospital care.
The Bill has passed its second reading and is now on course to become law by the end of 2023.
Allocation of Tips Bill
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill, which also passed its second reading in Parliament, creates a new legal obligation on employers to allocate tips, gratuities and service charges to workers without deductions. Through the Bill, a new statutory Code of Practice will be developed to provide businesses and staff with advice on how tips should be distributed and workers will have a new right to request more information relating to an employer’s tipping record, enabling them to bring forward a credible claim to an employment tribunal if necessary.
Both topics had been on the Government’s agenda for some time and were expected to be included in the long-awaited Employment Bill, which was absent from the Queen’s Speech in May 2022. In the meantime, we must be satisfied by the progress the private member’s bill has encouraged regarding neonatal care and tip allocation.
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