Employment law update – all change from April 2024

From April 2024,the rates used for calculating employment entitlements will change. We have summarised the new amounts below.

Unfair dismissal

From 6 April 2024 the awards will increase to-

• Maximum Basic Award: £21,000 (maximum weekly pay used to calculate this award is now £700 per week)
• Maximum Compensatory Award: £115,115 or 1 years’ pay (whichever is lower)

Whistleblowing and discrimination claims

No maximum award of compensation.

The range of Injury to Feelings Award (Vento Bands) from 6 April 2024 will be – from £1,200 to £58,700

Statutory Redundancy Pay (SRP)

For redundancies which take effect after 6 April 2024, the amount of the legal minimum redundancy pay due will rise. The maximum amount of an employee’s weekly pay to use in the calculation is £700.

SRP is calculated based on the employee’s weekly pay, multiplied by:

• For each year employed under the age of 22: 0.5
• For each complete year employed aged between 22 and 40: 1
• For each complete year employed aged 41 or over: 1.5

Statutory Sick Pay

From 6 April 2024 this increases to:

• £116.75 per week for a maximum of 28 weeks

Family leave payments (note from 7 April 2024)

Statutory Maternity Pay

• 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks.
• £184.03 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings (if lower) for up to 33 further weeks

Statutory Adoption Pay

• 90% of average weekly earnings the first 6 weeks
• £184.03 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings (if lower) for up to 33 further weeks

Statutory Paternity Pay

• £184.03 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings (if lower) for up to 2 weeks
• Note that new paternity leave regulations will now allow employees to either take their two weeks paternity leave in two blocks of one week, or two weeks together. This applies where the baby is due on or after 7 April 2024.

Shared Parental Pay

• £184.03 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings (if lower) for up to 39 weeks

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

• £184.03 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings (if lower) for up to 2 weeks

National Minimum Wage (note from 1 April 2024)

• National Living Wage (now applicable for all adults 21+): £11.44 per hour
• Aged 18 to 20 inclusive: £8.60 per hour
• Aged under 18 (but above compulsory school leaving age) £6.40 per hour
• Apprentices (note only if the apprentice is aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship): £6.40 per hour

Annual leave

Right to 5.6 weeks’ paid leave per year for all workers. This entitlement can include bank and public holidays.

How we can help

For further details of other changes coming into play in April 2024 please see our previous blogs what to expect in employment law in 2024 and how can employers support women in the workplace?

We would be happy to advise you further on how to protect your position (as an employer, employee or worker), please contact a member of our employment law team.

This information is correct as at 27 March 2024 and is intended as a summary.