Employment law changes come into force this October
Posted on in Business News , Political News
As an employer, it's vital you don't overlook the changes that are taking place in employment law.
There are four key changes to employment law this October that you need to be aware of.
1. Fathers and partners can take time off for antenatal appointments
Now, Fathers and partners can time off with a pregnant woman to their antenatal appointment - for two occasions. This new right can be taken straight away for any new employee, with the exception of agency workers, who need a minimum service requirement to be eligible.
2. Equal pay audits in Employment Tribunals
In any equal pay claim after 1 October 2010, where a tribunal finds an equal pay breach, the employer now has to carry out an ‘equal pay audit' - unless they are exempt.
The exemptions relate to whether the employer has recently carried out an audit that meets requirements, and whether the benefits of an audit outweigh the drawbacks. This is set out in the Equality Act 2010 (Equal Pay Audits) Regulations 2014
3. National minimum wage rise
The national minimum wage has increased. Now, adult minimum wage has rising from £6.31 to £6.50, and 18 - 20 year olds minimum wage increasing from £5.03 to £5.13 per.
4. Protection for reserve forces against unfair dismissal
If employees are dismissed mostly because they are members of the reserve forces, there will be no service requirement for claiming unfair dismissal claim and they can pursue it straight away.
More information
If you need advice on the latest changes in Employment Legislation or any aspect of employment law, ActSmart's partner DAS can help.
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Unlike many other legal and business support helplines, ActSmart offer subscribers 24 hour, unlimited access to DAS business support. To access the helplines click on the button below.
ActSmart subscribers can also take the headache out of employment issues by using the professionally produced and constantly updated Employment Manual provided through our partnership with DAS.
The online employment manual covers 3 key areas:
- Pre-Employment - covers the recruitment process so you can get the right people first time. Includes sample application forms and job description templates
- Employment - keep up to date with all the basics of employment law and employee rights
- Termination of Employment - covers issues such as disciplinary hearings, notice rights, fair/unfair dismissals and health issues
The Appendices provides templates of policy documents and forms which you can download and use in your own business.
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