: Mercer & Hole, Chartered Accountants

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Message:	"Employment legislation timetable" -- Changes to legislation affecting HR scheduled for the early part of this calendar year include: February From 1 February 2008 a number of limits applying to tribunal awards and other amounts payable under employment legislation will increase (Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2007). Amongst these, the minimum amount of basic award of compensation where dismissal is unfair by virtue of the Employment Rights Act 1996 increases from £4,200 to £4,400; the limit on the amount of a compensatory award for unfair dismissal rises from £60,600 to £63,000; and the amount of a week’s pay for the purposes of calculating a redundancy payment or for various awards including the basic or additional award of compensation for unfair dismissal goes up from £310 to £330. A new criminal offence of knowingly employing illegal workers is effective from 29 February 2008. Prosecution and fines of up to £10,000 can be actioned against employers who employ illegal workers. April Legislation to strengthen the rights of vulnerable agency workers (the right to cancel accommodation or transport which has been provided to them, with adequate notice, for example) comes in to force on 1 April. Various amendments to UK sex discrimination legislation are expected to come into force on 6 April. These better reflect the broad protection offered by the Equal Treatment Directive. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 create an offence of corporate manslaughter that allows, from 6 April, organisations to be prosecuted for management failures that lead to deaths of employees and others. Standard rates of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay increase from £112.75 to £117.18 per week, and statutory sickness pay increases from £72.55 to £75.40, from 6 April 2008. Requirements giving employees the right to be informed and consulted about their employer’s business, and the right to be consulted on major changes to pension schemes, are extended to cover undertakings with 50 or more employees, from 6 April 2008. -- http://www.mercerhole.co.uk/news/people-entry/employment_legislation_timetable/