What Will Happen To UK Employment Law Now We Have Chosen To Leave The EU?

The UK will continue to be bound by EU laws until another agreement is reached or until the UK unilaterally withdraws from the EU, which cannot be earlier than two years from the date the exit notice is served.

This means that all employers will have to continue to follow all existing UK laws during this two year period. European directives have been implemented via primary legislation in the UK and the UK Government will have to decide whether to amend or repeal these. They will not however fall away automatically, simply because of Brexit. These include directives that regulate:

Working time and holiday entitlement
TUPE
Collective redundancies
Discrimination
Agency workers

Employers will not therefore suddenly be able to insist that their staff work over 48 hours per week or take fewer holidays.

If you’re concerned about how Brexit will affect your business, contact our employment law experts for advice. Call us free on 0808 271 2602 or send our referendum team an email with any questions.

Key Contacts

Our key contacts are all experts in their fields. Feel free to email or phone them to find out how we can help your business.

Employment +

Glenn Hayes

Partner

Employment

Tel. +44 (0)113 218 6484

Mob. +44 (0)791 872 1486

glenn.hayes@irwinmitchell.com

View full profile page

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Britain Still Be Part Of The Transatlantic Trade And Investment Partnership?

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a trade agreement currently under negotiation between the EU and the United States... Read more

What Could Be The Commercial Market Impact To The UK Economy And Inward Investment?

It’s currently unclear what effect Brexit will have on the British economy. However, our lawyers can offer expert commercial advice... Read more

What Will Be The Impact On Trade Mark Law Now We Have Decided To Leave The EU?

UK businesses need to be aware that a number of changes could happen in relation to intellectual property (IP), as our current laws are largely driven by the EU... Read more

How Long Will Any Changes To The Law Take?

As Britain has decided to leave the EU, our laws in a number of areas will be changing. Despite this, there won’t be any immediate... Read more

I Have Existing EU Staff And Want To Recruit More – What Should I Do?

Now we’ve voted to leave the EU, the free movement of workers will certainly be affected. However, changes to legislation are likely to be gradual... Read more

What Will Brexit Mean For Data Protection Laws?

As with so many legal issues relating to Brexit the position relating to data protection is not entirely clear. Data protection in the UK is undergoing... Read more

What Impact Will Brexit Have On Dispute Resolution?

If you’re negotiating a contract, you should think carefully about your dispute resolution and governing law clauses... Read more

What Will Happen To UK Employment Law Now We Have Chosen To Leave?

The UK will continue to be bound by EU laws until another agreement is reached or until the UK unilaterally withdraws from the EU... Read more

What Impact Does Brexit Have On The New EU Unitary Patent System?

The new EU Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court system (not yet in force) will only apply to participating EU member states and so Brexit will... Read more

Could Brexit Void An Existing Commercial Contract?

Even though we’ve voted to leave the EU, this does not automatically make existing commercial contracts void. Any changes to legislation... Read more

How Will Businesses Be Affected By New Immigration Rules?

Many businesses are concerned about what will happen if the UK ultimately pulls up the drawbridge and imposes strict immigration controls... Read more

How Will Regulatory Law Be Affected Now That We Will Leave The EU?

Much of our economy is subject to regulation, and our most pervasive regulatory regimes are EU-driven. As a consequence, it’s likely that uncertainty... Read more

As A Business What Action Should We Be Taking With Our Key Trading Arrangements?

Although the direct impact of Brexit won’t come into force until after the negotiation period (which could be two years or longer) we advise businesses... Read more

Will M&A Activity Increase?

The uncertainty in the run up to the EU referendum vote has dragged levels of M&A activity down compared to last year and, although the outcome of the vote is now known... Read more

Request A Callback

Enter you details below and we'll call you back, at a time of your choice

Your name*

Your phone number*

Your Email*

Your enquiry*

Preferred date*

Today

Tomorrow

Preferred time*

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.

Cookies