As we begin a new year in 2013, employers should be aware of the forthcoming changes in employment law and the impact these changes will bring. Please find below some useful information for the year ahead.
| Date | Change | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2013 | New tribunal award limits come into force | The limit on the compensatory award for unfair dismissal increases from £72,300 to £74,200 |
| March 2013 | DSB (Formerly CRB) checks become portable | Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) formally CRB checks are portable between employers meaning that a new check is not required each time a person changes employer |
| March 2013 | Equality Act provisions regarding third party harassment and discrimination questionnaires is repealed | When the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is implemented the Equality Act 2010 will be amended and the liability of employers for the harassment of third parties will be repealed along with the procedure which sets out the discrimination questionnaire whereby a person asks their employer questions when they believe they have been discriminated against |
| 8 March 2013 | Unpaid parental leave increases to 18 weeks | The right to take unpaid parental leave increases from 13 weeks to 18 weeks. Every employee who is the parent of a child can take up to 18 weeks unpaid leave during the first five years of the child life. The current legislation provides that no more than four weeks can be taken in a year and there is no mention of any change to this restriction |
| April 2013 | Employee shareholder contracts are introduced | The Growth and Infrastructure Bill brings into force a new type of contract under which employees are given shares in return for waiving certain employment rights. Employees will receive shares with a value of at least £2000 in return for sacrificing specific employment rights |
| 6 April 2013 | Collective redundancy consultation period is reduced to 45 days | The 90 day collective consultation period imposed by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 where an employer anticipates dismissing over 100 employees for reason of redundancy is reduced to 45 days |
| 6 April 2013 | Maternity, paternity and adoption pay increase | Standard rates of pay increase from £135.45 to £136.78 per week |
| 6 April 2013 | Statutory sick pay increases | The standard rate of statutory sick pay increases from £85.85 per week to £86.70 per week |
| 6 April 2013 | Real time information for payroll reporting begins | Employers are required to use real time information to report payroll deductions before or when they make them. Under new arrangements for PAYE employers have to report deductions to HMRC at the time of, or prior to, paying staff rather than once a year |
| Summer 2013 | Fee for bringing Tribunal claims is imposed | The government will impose fees in order for a claimant to pursue a claim in the Employment Tribunal. There will be two levels of claim attracting different fees and the existing remission system currently used by the civil courts will allow fees to be waived if the claimant cannot afford to pay |
If you are registered on our mailing list we will send further information on the above changes over the course of the year. To register on our mailing list, just enter your email into the ‘Join our mailing list’ box on the left and click to ‘join’.
For further information on any of the changes above, please contact our Employment team.
