Three new employment laws.....just what we all need
Just in case your are not aware there are three new employment laws either just come into effect or about to. Depending on whether you are an employee or an employer, you will have different views on these changes and their impact.
1. Sex Discrimination Act - 2008 Regulations 5th October 2008
This gives women on maternity leave full contractual rights(for everything except pay) during the full 12 month maternity period.
This applies to any woman whose expected week of childbirth is from 5th October onwards.
In layman terms this means that women on maternity leave will still be entitled to benefits such as gym membership, company cars and they will also accrue full contractual holiday entitlement during their entire maternity leave instead of the current six months.
2. New Employment Bill April 2009
This will abolish statutory discipline, dismissal and grievance procedures and replace them with stronger guidance from ACAS.
This new bill will be easier for employers as it's fairly straightforward and much more user friendly. The aim is to get back to a common sense approach rather than procedures. If employers don't follow the code then compensation can be increased by 25% or reduced by 25% in grievance cases if the employee hasn't followed the code.
However, as the code stands it is very open to interpretation, eg: It says that employees should make employers aware of grievances, but does not specify that they need to be in writing.
Employers need to be wary of implementing these changes though as they could be conceived as contractual changes.
3. Working time regulations 1 April 2009
It will increase the statutory minimum holiday entitlement to 28 days.
I think this is very self explanatory, but those employees who already receive pay for the eight bank holidays plus four weeks paid holiday will not receive any increase to their entitlement. However there are other changes to payment in lieu and the right to carry over unused holidays.
Payment in lieu means that if you work on a "bank holiday" you must receive time off in lieu as well as any extra pay that your employer agrees to give you.
For further information visit www.businesslink.gov.uk
1. Sex Discrimination Act - 2008 Regulations 5th October 2008
This gives women on maternity leave full contractual rights(for everything except pay) during the full 12 month maternity period.
This applies to any woman whose expected week of childbirth is from 5th October onwards.
In layman terms this means that women on maternity leave will still be entitled to benefits such as gym membership, company cars and they will also accrue full contractual holiday entitlement during their entire maternity leave instead of the current six months.
2. New Employment Bill April 2009
This will abolish statutory discipline, dismissal and grievance procedures and replace them with stronger guidance from ACAS.
This new bill will be easier for employers as it's fairly straightforward and much more user friendly. The aim is to get back to a common sense approach rather than procedures. If employers don't follow the code then compensation can be increased by 25% or reduced by 25% in grievance cases if the employee hasn't followed the code.
However, as the code stands it is very open to interpretation, eg: It says that employees should make employers aware of grievances, but does not specify that they need to be in writing.
Employers need to be wary of implementing these changes though as they could be conceived as contractual changes.
3. Working time regulations 1 April 2009
It will increase the statutory minimum holiday entitlement to 28 days.
I think this is very self explanatory, but those employees who already receive pay for the eight bank holidays plus four weeks paid holiday will not receive any increase to their entitlement. However there are other changes to payment in lieu and the right to carry over unused holidays.
Payment in lieu means that if you work on a "bank holiday" you must receive time off in lieu as well as any extra pay that your employer agrees to give you.
For further information visit www.businesslink.gov.uk
posted by Heidi Whitelock @ 11:41
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