Name of Bill

Effect

Timing

Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

Introduces a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees, and an uplift to compensation where this duty has been breached.

In July the House of Lords made two amendments which watered down the Bill:

• It removed the third party provisions completely.  As originally drafted, employers would be liable if their staff were harassed by third parties, unless they had take all reasonable steps to prevent it.
• They redrafted the Bill so employers now have to take reasonable steps to prevent their staff from being sexually harassed at work rather than "all" reasonable steps.

Committee stage passed, now at Report stage (scheduled for 5 September 2023).

Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill

Giving workers the right to request a more predictable work pattern.

On 4 July the Bill reached committee stage in the Lords.  

However, no changes were suggested to the bill so the bill goes directly to third reading. This procedure is known as "order of commitment discharged". 

A date for third reading, when final amendments can be made, is scheduled for 18 September 2023. 

Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023

This Act contains several measures:

• Requires employers to consult with their employees before rejecting their flexible working request;
• Allows employees to make two flexible working requests in any 12 month period, instead of the current one;
• Requires employers to respond to requests within two months rather than three;
• Removes the current requirement for employees to set out how the effects of their flexible working request might be dealt with by the employer.

Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the bill it received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023.

The bill is now an Act of Parliament and is likely to come into force in 2024.