Knock, knock: UK trade union access is here

What we are already seeing

Several of our clients have already received early requests in advance of October 30. Strictly speaking, these did not trigger the new regime because the right had not yet come into force, but they provided a valuable fire drill. In one case, a request was sent to a client's European office and took days to reach the right person in the UK. Under the new regime, that could mean a significant portion of the response period has passed before anyone has read the request.

Unions are taking these new rights seriously. Several have committed significant resources to access requests, and we have heard anecdotally of one union whose representatives are competing to see who can make the most requests before Christmas. Employers should be ready now, rather than starting the work when the envelope arrives.

The bottom line

Employers do not need to roll out the red carpet, but they do need to be able to answer the door lawfully, calmly, and on time. Gordon Bartlett and Greta Morand discuss the immediate steps you need to take in their latest podcast, which you can listen to below.

If you would like to discuss what this means for your business, please contact Gordon, Greta, or your usual A&O Shearman contact. We have a range of resources available to help employers prepare for the new regime.