Every year brings with it some important new legislation for employers to negotiate. 2013 presents new legislation relevant to organisations both large and small - here are 10 to be aware of -
1. Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is implemented: Among other things, the wide-ranging Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which has been spearheaded by business secretary Vince Cable, above, implements various reforms to the employment tribunal system; permits employers to have a "protected conversation" with an employee with a view to terminating his or her employment under a settlement agreement; and allows the secretary of state to change the limit on the unfair dismissal compensatory award.
2. New tribunal award limits come into force: An increase in the limit on the amount of the compensatory award for unfair dismissal is among the changes taking effect on 1 February 2013.
3. Employee-shareholder contracts are introduced: The Government is introducing a new type of employment contract, under which employees will be given shares in exchange for waiving certain employment rights.
4. Unpaid parental leave increases to 18 weeks: The right to unpaid parental leave increases from 13 weeks to 18 weeks from 8 March 2013.
5. DBS checks (formerly CRB checks) are portable: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (formerly Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks) are portable between employers, from March 2013.
6. Collective consultation period is reduced to 45 days: The 90-day consultation period where 100 or more redundancies are proposed reduces to 45 days from 6 April 2013.
7. Real-time information for payroll: Employers are required to use real-time information to report payroll deductions before or when they make them, from 6 April 2013 unless a different date is agreed.
8. Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption pay increase: The standard rates of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay increase from April 2013.
9. Rate of statutory sick pay increases: The standard rate of statutory sick pay increases from April 2013.
10. Fee for bringing employment tribunal claim imposed: The charging of a fee in employment tribunals, under which the claimant has to pay an initial fee to issue a claim and a further fee if the claim proceeds to a hearing, is introduced in summer 2013.
