United Kingdom's (UK) decision to leave the European Union (EU) in 2016, known as Brexit, has significantly impacted various aspects of UK Law. Among others, Employment law is one field that has been severely affected. With this, employers should understand how Brexit has affected employment law and what fallout to expect.
One of the most significant changes of Brexit is that there will be no EU law application in the UK. This implies that EU laws and regulations previously governing areas like working time, discrimination, and health and safety will cease to have a direct effect on them. However, it is important to note that many of these areas of law have been incorporated into UK statutes or common law. As a consequence, there will be very little difference at first in rights and protections for workers in the UK.
One major change also relates to immigration laws. This implies that all European countries citizens who used to live and work in Britain under the freedom of movement principle will now have to go through British immigration policies. Employers must understand new visa conditions which could affect employees’ attraction and retention rates dramatically. Furthermore, European Union workers who were living in the country at the time Britain joined EU may qualify for settled status thus allowing them to stay permanently.
Furthermore, jurisdictional issues have changed too. Before Brexit happened, European Court of Justice was responsible for various fields concerning English labor laws. With this, disputes shall now have their resolutions from English courts only. This will necessitate employers to ensure their employment contracts and policies reflect these adjustments as well as being ready for any possible conflicts .
Accordingly, there are some areas that fall within national jurisdiction including employment rights which were formerly regulated under EU law. These constitutional reforms include updating people’s working hours and removing discrimination at workplaces such as racism ethnic origin sex, or religion. Business owners need to keep track on their developments so as to swiftly implement changes in personnel management.
Overall, Brexit has had an enormous impact on the country’s employment law, especially about immigration and jurisdiction. However, little will change immediately regarding the rights and protections offered to employees. This will require employers to handle other emerging issues such as recruitment and dispute resolution. There is also a likelihood of future legal alterations within this sector that employers must be ready for when they come about.