STRATEGIC MEMBERS Navigating the new employment law landscape: essential guidance for SMEs

The Government recently introduced a raft of employment law changes that would have alarmed even the most HR-savvy of SME leaders. They include sweeping changes to workers’ rights, with the alterations unveiled on October 10 set to impact businesses of all sizes.

One fundamental shift is the creation of the Fair Work Agency, a unified enforcement body that will oversee areas such as fair pay, worker protections, and zero-hour contracts, placing additional scrutiny on employment practices. For SMEs, this could mean adapting contracts and wage practices to align with stricter regulatory standards. The changes also include zero-hour contract reforms, eliminating ‘onesided flexibility’, which has historically favoured employers by allowing lastminute scheduling changes. Under the new rules, workers gain more stability and predictability in a change requiring SMEs to adjust workforce planning, and potentially increase staffing costs to maintain flexibility.