Brown & Brown Absence Services Group’s Post

As the world of paid and unpaid leave programs gets more tangled, Brown & Brown has got your back. Our Absence & Accommodation Consulting Services are ready to guide carriers, employers, and third-party administrators through the maze of legal obligations. Want to know how our team can work for you? Dive into the latest Brown & Brown Business Sense blog post at the link below or reach out for a conversation. 

💡Three laws revolving around employees' rights in the workplace come into force: 1. Flexible working ⏳ You can request flexible working from day 1 You can make 2 requests in one year Your employer must have a final response in two months and they must consult with you. 2. Unpaid leave for carers 🆘 Under the Carer’s Leave Act employees who are carers can take up to a week of unpaid leave every 12 months – equating to five days for most people. Workers are entitled to such leave to give or arrange care for a dependant – not necessarily a family member – who has a physical or mental illness or injury meaning they will need care for more than three months, who has a disability, or who needs care due to old age. 3.Workplace protection for pregnant women 🤰🏻 Redundancy protection is extended to employees who are pregnant, but have not yet gone on maternity leave. Also, the protection is extended to those who have recently returned to work from maternity leave, as well as those who have recently returned from adoption leave and a period of six weeks or more shared parental leave. Are these changes affecting you in any way? 🔗Connect with Anna Ives MCIPD if you need help with flexible working application. #maternityleave #leadrship #diversity

Talent attraction and retention needs are motivating many U.S. employers to make changes to their leave programs over the next two years, according to WTW survey data. The firm found that 84% of the 517 employers surveyed between October and November 2023 planned to make changes, with enhanced parental leave, bereavement leave and caregiver leave being top priorities. (Ryan Golden) #humanresources #hr #pto #parentalleave #parentsatwork

Paid family and medical leave compliance is set to become even more complex over the next three years, and employers that stay ahead of legal requirements may need to make adjustments, speakers said Wednesday during a Disability Management Employer Coalition webinar. (Ryan Golden) #humanresources #hr #paidleave #familyleave

⏰FAIR WORK REMINDER⏰ Effective today 1 August 2023, employees are entitled to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave each year. Employees must be experiencing family and domestic violence to be eligible to take paid family and domestic violence leave. The entitlement to paid family and domestic violence leave comes from the National Employment Standards (NES). It’s a new paid minimum leave entitlement, like annual leave or paid sick and carer’s leave. An employee’s paid leave entitlement is available in full immediately and resets on their work anniversary. It doesn’t accumulate from year to year. Paid family and domestic violence leave is a standalone leave entitlement. This means employees get it separately from other types of leave, such as annual leave or paid sick and carer’s leave. Eligible employees get 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave even if their agreement, contract or workplace policy provides less. This is because the NES always applies as the minimum entitlement, even if an award or agreement provides less. Learn more via the link: https://lnkd.in/gSpf8peW

Regardless of industry, for employers who are expanding their leave programs, 73% said retention strategies was the biggest driver, and 72% cited enhancing the employee experience as a top reason. Almost 20% of employers with existing paid maternity and #paternityleave plans intend to INCREASE their policies this year. And, we're not surprised. Paid parental leave is a policy that moves the needle for employers and positively affects the bottom line. https://lnkd.in/emUrUWvS #parentalleave #paidleave #parento #ppl #maternityleave #hr #benefits

For the past several years, the covered leave landscape is getting more complexed and will continue to evolve. We recognize that regulatory changes are time-consuming for employers, but staying informed and understanding how to interpret legislation is important. Our team of experts are informed of regulatory updates and are available to our clients seeking advisory services. If you want to hear more and see how we can support your organization, contact me today! #PaidLeave #RegulatoryChanges #PowerOfWe #BenefitsAdvisors

WTW’s 2023 Leave, Disability and Time-off Trends Survey found supporting attraction and retention strategies to be the number one driver for making changes to paid leave, time off or disability programs, cited by almost three-quarters (73%) of employers that have made or plan to make changes to their leave programs. Nearly as many (72%) cited enhancing the employee experience as a top reason.

Here are just 5 of the new employment laws for California in 2024: (1) PAID SICK LEAVE (SB 616)  📌 Starting January 1, 2024, Employees are now entitled to 5 days or 40 hours of paid sick leave. Previously, they were entitled to 3 days or 24 hours. (2) NONCOMPETE AGREEMENTS & NOTICE REQUIREMENTS (SB 699, AB 1076) 📌 Starting January 1, 2024, SB 699 prohibits employers from entering into or attempting to enforce noncompete agreements with employees. The new law establishes that noncompete agreements are void in California regardless of where the employee worked when the employee entered into the agreement and/or where the employee signed the agreement. 📌 Newly signed AB 1076 requires employers to notify current employees and former employees (employed after January 1, 2022) in writing by February 14, 2024, that any noncompete agreements they may have signed are now void. (3) REPRODUCTIVE LEAVE LOSS (SB 848) 📌 Starting January 1, 2024, SB 848 allows eligible employees to take up to 5 days of unpaid leave following a “reproductive loss event.” Employees experiencing a reproductive loss and wishing to take a leave must be employed with an employer with at least 5 employees for at least 30 days prior to taking the leave.  📌 The law defines a “reproductive loss event” as the day or, for a multiple-day event, the final day of a failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth, or an unsuccessful assisted reproduction. (4) WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM (SB 553) 📌  July 1, 2024, California law will require employers to adopt an extensive workplace violence prevention plans, either as part of their injury and illness prevention programs or as a separate document. SB 553 imposes specific requirements on employers, including: o   Recording incidents or threats in a violent incident log o   Providing training to all employees; and maintaining records related to a workplace violence prevention plan. (5) FAST FOOD MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE TO $20/HOUR (AB 1228) 📌 As of April 1, 2024, This new bill repeals the FAST Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act and replaces it with a $20 per hour minimum wage for fast food workers, among other provisions. 📌 This minimum wage will increase annually through 2029.