UK Employment Law - 2023

In the first quarter of 2023, there have been noteworthy developments in employment case law and headlines related to workplaces.

For instance, some firms have experimented with a four-day working week, which proved successful for 56 of the 61 participant companies in a six-month trial that began in June 2022. The new working pattern led to increased productivity, promoted work-life balance, and had no significant impact on revenue.

The government introduced a new bill aimed at ensuring that during industrial strikes, critical public services would have to maintain minimum safety levels and deliver essential functions.

In April 2023, new pay rates were introduced that included increases in the limits and statutory caps that can be claimed for unfair dismissal or redundancy. Several other benefits, such as statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental pay, also saw an increase.

Additionally, the case law of interest includes the McQueen v. The General Optical Council and Burke v. Turning Point cases. The former involved an employee with disabilities who was disciplined for aggressive behavior, while the latter concluded that long Covid can be considered a disability under UK law.