Employment - New Laws
From 1st April 2007 there were two key pieces of legislation:
1. Flexible Working Extended to Carers
Employees who Care for a person aged 18 or over, now have the right to request flexible working. This could include caring for an adult who you are married to; partners; civil partner; someone living at the same address as the carer, and near relatives. The "near relative" definition includes parents, parent-in-law, adult child, adopted adult child, siblings (including those who are in-laws), uncles, aunts or grandparents and step-relatives.
More info at: www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1153
2. Maternity Arrangements
- From April 2007, Maternity pay will be extended from 6 months to 9 months (39 weeks).
- `Keep in touch’ days whilst on maternity leave introduced. This means by agreement with your employer, you can work or undertake training to enable you to keep in touch with the workplace for up to 10 days during your maternity pay period.
- Employees will now need to give more notice if they want to return to work early (originally 28 days, now 8 weeks notice).
- There are similar changes to adoption leave and pay affecting placements expected to occur after 1 April 07
More info from: The Department of Trade& Industry who have produced a useful guide, `What you need to know as an employer’
From 1st July 2007
No Smoking
The smoke free regulations will ban smoking in all workplaces, enclosed public spaces and shared vehicles. Staff `smoking rooms’ will become illegal and only smoking outside will be allowed. Employers must also display A5 sized no smoking signs at all entrances. If the legislation is broken, this could result in fines of up to £2500.
No smoking signage can be downloaded FREE from: www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/
or telephone: 0800 169 1697 to request your copy.
To Implement:
- Ensure all staff and managers are aware of the key changes
- Consult with staff and develop a smoking policy
- Review your Health and Safety Policies and make reference to the `no smoking policy’.
- Offer support to employees wishing to give up smoking
- Display A5 Sized no smoking signs at all entrances
- Review your disciplinary procedures to take account of breach of the policy
Statutory Annual Leave
Statutory annual leave is expected to increase from 20 to 24 days (for a person working a five-day week).
From 1st April 2008 - This has now been delayed to 1st April 2009
Some employers include the eight bank holidays as part of the current 20-day entitlement. The change in effect ensures that all full-time workers working a five-day week get the current 20 days, plus time off equivalent to the bank holidays. For part-time workers, the entitlement is pro rata.
