The Fenland Council Employment Committee met on Wednesday 10 September 2025 to discuss the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill, and to review the future of the Council's Culture and Creativity Development Officer role. The committee also approved a Domestic Abuse Support Policy and Procedure, and noted the Health and Safety Annual Report for 2024/25.

Forthcoming Employment Rights Bill

The committee received an overview of the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill, which is expected to become law later in 2025 and will introduce important changes to employment law.

The bill is expected to be implemented in phases between autumn 2025 and 2027.

Changes expected in autumn 2025 include:

• Removing minimum service level rules for strikes
• Increasing dismissal protection for industrial action
• Reducing the time needed to give notice of industrial action to 10 days
• Requiring unions to have a simple majority to vote for industrial action
• Removing the requirement for picket supervisors
• Extending industrial action mandates to last for 12 months
• Simplifying industrial action and ballot notices
• Changing political fund rules

Changes expected in April 2026 include:

• Paternity leave and ordinary parental leave becoming 'day one rights'
• Removing the restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave
• Statutory sick pay (SSP) being paid from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day
• Removing the lower earnings limit for statutory sick pay
• Doubling the maximum 'protective award' for failure to consult in collective redundancy from 90 days' pay to 180 days' pay
• Sexual harassment becoming a 'qualifying disclosure' under whistleblowing law
• Employers needing to create action plans around menopause and gender pay gaps
• Simplifying how a trade union can gain recognition in a workplace
• Allowing trade union members to vote electronically
• Establishing the Fair Work Agency

Changes expected in October 2026 include:

• Dismissing someone then rehiring them on worse terms and conditions becoming an automatically unfair dismissal in most cases
• A new duty for employers to prevent harassment from third parties
• Employers needing to take 'all reasonable steps' to prevent sexual harassment
• A change to the law around non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
• Updates to tipping law
• Time limits for making a claim to an employment tribunal increasing to 6 months for all claims
• A new duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
• Updated rules on a trade union's right of access to the workplace
• A new right to reasonable accommodation and facilities for trade union representatives carrying out their duties
• A new right to time off for union equality representatives to carry out their duties
• Increased protection against detriment for industrial action
• New measures for public sector outsourcing
• A new negotiating body for adult social care

A change expected in December 2026 is a new mandatory charter for seafarers.

Changes expected in 2027 include:

• Protection from unfair dismissal becoming a right from the first day of employment
• Strengthened protections against dismissal for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave
• A new right to statutory bereavement leave
• Workers on zero-hours contracts getting the right to guaranteed working hours
• Workers having the right to be paid if a shift is cancelled, moved to another date, or cut short by an employer
• An amendment to flexible working law
• The law specifying what 'reasonable steps' means when preventing sexual harassment
• Action plans around menopause and gender pay gaps becoming mandatory
• Employers needing to consider the total number of redundancies across their whole organisation
• Increased collective redundancy protection for workers on ships that regularly operate from British ports but are registered outside Great Britain
• Extending laws that protect trade union members from discrimination and being 'blacklisted'
• A new industrial relations framework
• The definition of agencies being expanded to include 'umbrella companies'

The committee was requested to note the report for information.

Domestic Abuse Support Policy and Procedure

The committee approved the Domestic Abuse Support (employee) Policy and Procedure. Sarah Gove, Housing & Communities Manager, presented the report.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis asked about scenarios where protecting a victim may put the council at risk. Sarah Gove replied that the team would work with HR to ensure the council's interests are also protected.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis asked how the council's reputational risk would be managed if the person causing harm was an employee and the abuse became public. Sam Anthony, Head of HR and OD, advised that confidential information would not be shared, and the council would work closely with the individual and victim.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis asked how data protection is ensured when recording disclosures and how information is kept confidential. Sarah Gove responded that all information is confidential and secure to the department on their internal system. Sam Anthony added:

if a disclosure is received, it will be recorded on file but kept under lock and key, however the Council has a duty to act once they know, so it would be discussed with that individual.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis asked what support is given beyond emergency situations, for example can a staff member be given extra leave or flexible working hours? Sam Anthony responded that there are several avenues of support such as compassionate leave, hybrid working, mental health support and the Employee Assistant Programme to name a few. Sarah Gove added that DAHA accreditation will give the team a comprehensive list of specialist organisations that they could work with, along with HR.

Councillor Sidney Imafidon asked for clarification on who is referred to as customers. Sam Anthony said that anyone making an approach, including staff, would be classed as a client.

Councillor Dr Haq Nawaz asked what the significance and advantage of DAHA accreditation would be. Sarah Gove replied that it is a positive national scheme, and accreditation would show that the council takes domestic abuse seriously; it would also highlight that the authority is a creditable organisation, offering a very high standard of customer service.

Councillor Sidney Imafidon asked how long the process will take, what the costs are and what impact would local government reorganisation have on the accreditation. Sarah Gove advised that accreditation lasts three years, which is timely in respect of LGR, but Peterborough are also seeking the accreditation. In terms of cost, it is being funded through a community safety partnership grant, which she believes is £3,000.

Councillor Dr Haq Nawaz asked if all staff would be trained and if any action could be taken to assist a Fenland resident or user of council services. Sarah Gove said there are two elements to the accreditation; this report covers all staff across the organisation, but accreditation is for the benefit of both internal and external customers. If the policy is agreed today and then at Cabinet next Monday, that information will be published on the Council's website. She added that unfortunately domestic abuse is one of the top three reasons that people contact the service.

The policy was proposed by Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis, seconded by Councillor Sidney Imafidon and agreed.

Health and Safety Annual Report 2024/25

The committee noted the Health and Safety Annual Report for 2024/25, which was presented by Sam Anthony and Aarron Locks, Shared Service CCTV Manager.

Aarron Locks explained that there is to be a review of the incident investigation process because there is evidence of inconsistency in how accidents have been investigated across the council. The review will provide a clear structure to support managers more efficiently, but also with a view to inviting an external training provider to deliver managers with the tools they need to effectively investigate incidents concisely and accurately. Sam Anthony added that whilst the council's health and safety performance is very good, this will enhance it even more.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis asked how the effectiveness of e-learning is measured beyond completion. Sam Anthony responded that completion is tracked for the workforce, and during accident investigations will make sure that those individuals have completed their mandatory training, what they have learned from it and recommendations going forward. Aarron Locks added that when an incident happens within a service area, the training for that team will be reviewed and see if there is a link with the number of incidents based on lack of training within that.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis asked what governance controls are in place to ensure the audit and training programmes are in place and if tracking is the same across the board. Sam Anthony confirmed that the new system tracks who has completed the training and by when. This information is fed back to the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Councillor Sidney Imafidon noted that there are six first-aid trained staff at Fenland Hall and one at each of the business centres at South Fens and the Boat House. He asked what would happen if either of the first aiders at the two business centres were absent, leaving them without any first aid cover. Sam Anthony responded that there is no legal obligation on the council to provide a first aider at the business centres, but there will be someone on site with emergency first aid experience.

Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis said she noted only one near miss recorded on the accident report and asked how the council can get staff to take reporting near misses as seriously as accidents. Aarron Locks said that he would also expect to see a higher number of near misses reported across the authority and will be pushing this to become part of FDC's culture. In the meantime, the focus will be on encouraging staff working in high-risk areas to report such incidents.

The report was proposed by Councillor Mrs Maureen Davis, seconded by Councillor Sidney Imafidon and agreed.

Culture and Creativity Development Officer Review

The committee discussed a proposal regarding the future of the council's Culture and Creativity Development Officer role. This item was discussed in confidential session, and the details were not made public.

Economic Growth Service

The committee considered a report on the Economic Growth Service presented by Anna Goodall, Assistant Director. This item was discussed in confidential session, and the details were not made public, but the committee agreed the report recommendations.