Human Resources Management

The following legislation is due to be made UK law between 2008 and 2012

6 April 2008

Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 are extended.              

The Regulations, which implement the Information and Consultation Directive in Great Britain, are extended to cover undertakings with 50 or more employees. The Regulations can be viewed on the HMSO website.

6 April 2008

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force.
New laws on corporate manslaughter are introduced. They will create a new offence of corporate manslaughter (corporate homicide in Scotland), which would allow organisations to be prosecuted for management failures that lead to the deaths of employees and others.

6 April 2008

Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 are extended. 
The Regulations, which implement the Information and Consultation Directive in Northern Ireland, are extended to cover undertakings with 50 or more employees.

6 April 2008

Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2006 are extended.
The Regulations, which introduce a statutory requirement upon employers to consult with prospective and active members of pension schemes and their representatives before making major or significant changes to future pension arrangements, are extended to cover undertakings with 50 or more employees.

Autumn 2008

Centralised vetting system for people working with children and vulnerable adults comes into force. 

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act will introduce a centralised vetting system for people banned from working with children and vulnerable adults. Employers will be able to make checks online, with information updated straight away when any individual is added to the list. Employers will be informed where possible if an individual becomes barred. There will be fines of up to £5,000 for employers that knowingly employ individuals on the list or fail to make the relevant checks.

1 April 2009

Minimum statutory holiday entitlement increases to 28 days. 

The statutory entitlement to paid holiday increases from 24 days to 28 days.

1 August 2009

Weekly working time limits for doctors in training reduced to 48 hours. 

The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003 amend the Working Time Regulations 1998 to provide for the 48-hour working time limit for doctors in training to be phased in over a period ending on 31 July 2009.  After initially restricting weekly working time limits for doctors in training to 58 hours from 1 August 2004, then to 56 hours from 1 August 2007, the Regulations make a further reduction to 48.  The Regulations can be viewed on the HMSO website.

During 2009 or 2010

Maternity leave is extended to 12 months. 

If Labour wins the general election in 2005, the Government intends to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months, some of which will be transferable from the mother to the father.  This follows an extension to nine months from April 2007.  Details of these proposals can be viewed on the Department of Trade and Industry website.

6 April 2010

Number of years' contribution required to achieve a full basic state pension reduced.
The number of years' contribution required to achieve a full basic state pension reduces to 30 years for both men and women. The Act can be viewed on the OPSI website.

April 2010

Maternity pay is extended to 12 months. 

The Government intends to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months. This follows an extension to nine months from April 2007.

April 2010

Paternity leave and pay is extended.

The Government intends to allow fathers to benefit from up to 26 weeks' paid additional paternity leave if the mother of the child returns to work before the end of the maternity leave period to which she is entitled.

August 2012

Working Time - Junior Doctors

Final part of phased introduction of junior doctors hours limit - 48 hour maximum week

Between 2024 and 2026

State pension age rises to 66 years. 

The Pensions Act 2007 raises the state pension age from 65 to 66 years to reflect the ageing nature of the population.

Between 2034 and 2036

State pension age rises to 67 years. 

The Pensions Act 2007 raises the state pension age from 66 to 67 years to reflect the ageing nature of the population.