Ban the use of blacklists on grounds of union membership or activities
See: trade unions
April 2010
The Information Commissioner may fine those who knowingly or recklessly
breach the Data Protection Act.
See: data protection
April 2010
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009
Employees in businesses with 250 employees or more will have
the right to request (unpaid) time off work to undertake training that will
benefit them and their employer.
See: time to train
4 April 2010
Increases to statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
See: key statistics
4 April 2010
Social Security (Medical Evidence) and Statutory Sick Pay (Medical Evidence)
Amendment Regulations 2010
GPs' sick notes will be replaced by the new "fit notes".
See: key statistics
6 April 2010
Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010
Fathers will be able to take up to six months of the mother's maternity leave
once the mother has returned to work. Applies to babies due on or after, or
children matched for adoption on or after, 3 April 2011.
See: paternity leave
6 April 2010
Both men and women only need 30 years of NI contributions to receive a full
basic state pension.
See: pension schemes
Expected Autumn 2010
Equality Bill
Aims to streamline all the different bits of discrimination legislation into
one
The draft Bill includes proposals on positive action, extension of age
discrimination to suppliers of goods and services, extension of duties on public
bodies to promote anti-discrimination in all areas, potential requirement to
publish statistics on gender pay gaps.
See: discrimination
No implementation date - likely to be 2010
Welfare Reform Bill
Plans to abolish Income Support and move the long-term unemployed onto
Jobseeker's Allowance.
By October 2010, single parents with children aged seven and over will be required
to look for work in order to get benefits.
By June 2011
Works Council Directive
Revised version - only applies to organisations with at least 1000 employees within
the EEA and at least 150 employees in each of two or more member states.
See consulting with your workers
1 October 2011
Agency Workers Directive
Gives agency workers the right to the same pay and conditions after 12
weeks' employment in the same role and with the same hirer.
See agency workers
October 2012 - September 2016
Pensions Act 2008
It will be compulsory for employers to contribute to the new personal
account pension scheme, which employees will automatically join when
they start a new job, unless the employer provides an alternative which is
as good or better.
See pensions
2013
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009
Will give suitably qualified young people a new right to an
apprenticeship.
See apprentices
2013
Education and Skills Act 2008
Raises the school leaving age to 17 from 2013, and 18 from 2015.
Implemented during 2009
Date effective
Legislative measure
Main proposal
16 January 2009
Health and Safety Offences Act
This Act:
raised the maximum penalties available to the courts in respect of
certain health and safety offences
the maximum fine for both companies and individuals which may be
imposed by the lower courts was increased to £20,000 for most
health and safety offences
Magistrates' Courts are also able to impose a sentence of up to 12 months
Crown Courts have the power to jail offenders for a maximum of two
years and order them to pay an unlimited fine
certain offences that previously only went to trial in lower courts
may be heard in either the lower or higher courts - thus opening up more
offences to unlimited fines.
Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
Extended the right to request flexible working to parents with children
up to (and including) the age of 16
See flexible working
6 April 2009
The Employment Act 2008
The Employment Act 2008 (Commencement No 1 Transitional Provisions and Savings)
Order 2008
This Order:
repealed the statutory dismissal and grievance procedures
allows tribunals to increase awards by up to 25% if an employer
unreasonably fails to comply with the ACAS Code of Practice on discipline
and grievance
extended ACAS's powers of conciliation and removed the fixed conciliation
periods.
See: dismissal
6 April 2009
The Employment Act 2008
The Employment Act 2008 (Commencement No 2 Transitional Provisions and Savings)
Order 2008
This Order:
changed the methods used to enforce the national minimum wage and
calculate arrears including an unlimited fine for underpayment of the national
minimum wage or employment agency offences
strengthened the investigative powers of the Employment Agency
Standards Inspectorate
gave unions the power to expel or exclude an individual on the
basis of his/her membership or former membership of a political party.
6 April 2009
Employment Tribunals Act 1996 (Tribunal Composition) Order 2009
Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2008
An employment judge can hear claims for holiday pay and Stage 1 equal value claims
alone rather than the full 3-member tribunal being required for this.
Other changes include a rule providing for the automatic dismissal of
proceedings where the parties to an ACAS settlement have confirmed in writing
their understanding that the proceedings covered by the settlement will be
dismissed and the claimant has withdrawn the claim.
6 April 2009
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
The transferor is required to provide information where the ACAS Code of Practice on
disciplinary and grievance procedures applies.
See: TUPE
1 August 2009
The Working time (Amendment) Regulations 2003
Reduced the working time limits for doctors in training from 56 hours per
week to 48 hours, but there are some exemptions.
See working time.
1 October 2009
National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (Amendment) Regulations 2009
Increased the National Minimum Wage (NMW), also employers may no
longer include tips as part of the NMW.
See: minimum wage
1 October 2009
The Work and Families (Increase of Maximum Amount) Order 2009
Increased a "week's pay" (used to calculate statutory redundancy
payments and a basic award at tribunal).
See: key statistics
1 October 2009
Data Protection (Notification and Notification Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
Changed the fees payable by data controllers to register or renew with the
Information Commissioner to process personal data.
See: data protection
1 October 2009
Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities.
A revised Code sets out details of the right to
time off with pay and how such payments must be calculated.
See: trade unions
12 October 2009
Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act
Employers of those who work with children or vulnerable adults
will be required to follow a centralised, integrated pre-employment vetting
procedure, which builds on the existing Criminal Records Bureau checks.
Employers (and parents who employ child minders etc) may do a
simple online check of an applicant's barred status and they will also be
informed immediately if someone they employ becomes barred.
Employers' failure to carry out the checks could result in a five-year
prison sentence or fines of up to £5,000.
See: CRB checks
For information on previous years' legislation:
200820072006