General

Information and Consultation
Fixed Term Employees
Employment Tribunal Statistics
Most Recent Changes

1. Information and Consultation

All businesses with 50 or more employees are now required to enter into Information and Consultation arrangements with employees, including a formal agreement, if 15 or more employees request it in writing. The Company must comply with the requirements within three months of receiving the request.

2. Fixed Term Employees

With effect from October 2008, agency workers for less than three months duration are now entitled to Statutory Sick Pay where they were not entitled previously

3. Employment Tribunal Statistics

Figures released by the Trivunals Se for 2007 - 2008 show an increase in claims for more than 40 per cent year on year. There were a total of 296,963 individual claims during 07/08 compared with 238,546 in 06/07. Indications are that when comparing February 08 with February 09, claims are up in excess of 30%.

4. Most Recent Changes

Changes effective during April 2009, affect Disciplinary Procedures; standard letters referring to them; flexible working; SMP and SSP; Employment Tribunal Claim forms; and an announcement of an increase in the “week’s pay” in relation to Redundancy later in the year. The Worker Registration Scheme applicable to Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary instead of ending on 30th April 200 will continue for a further two years. Employers failing to ensure their employees comply can be fined up to £5,000.