Navigating Enhanced Redundancy Protections: A Note For Employers

In a progressive stride towards workplace equality and employee rights, legislative reforms have been introduced to extend the current redundancy protection to pregnant employees and employees on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave (‘priority employees'). Effective from 6 April 2024, the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 (the “Act”) modifies existing safeguards under the Employment Rights Act 1996, extending the protected period and also ensuring that wider groups are offered suitable alternative vacancies (where available) in the event of redundancy. The impetus behind these changes was fuelled by a collective call for heightened job security during pregnancy and a reduction of discrimination in the workplace.