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Posted in Employers on Jul 07, 2014 by Richard Hayden
As an employer, it's always important to keep up to date with Employment Law updates or any proposed changes, so you can keep ahead of the game and plan accordingly. Here are our Top 4 stories that hit the news in the past month.
Background Checks
Employers need new HR procedures to address recent changes to the rules for checking that employees have the right to work in the UK.
On 16 May 2014 the maximum civil penalty that employers can receive for employing someone without the right to work increased from £10,000 to £20,000 per illegal worker. A new code of practice on avoiding discrimination, published at the same time, emphasises that checks should be made on all job candidates. The checks themselves have also changed, particularly in relation to their timing and the records that must be kept.
Auto-Enrolment
A lack of understanding about their legal obligations could see as many as 5,000 small employers face fines, according to research by Creative Auto Enrolment.
In a survey of more than 500 SME employers 24% said they have "hardly heard anything" from the Government about auto-enrolment. A further quarter (25%) say they have had "minimal communication". SMEs will face fines for "coercion" if they encourage their employees to opt-out of auto-enrolment. This practice is illegal and punishable by Government fines of between £1,000 and £5,000 for every breach, depending on the size of the employer. More than one-third (36%) of employers cited a lack of understanding as the biggest barrier to complying with auto-enrolment regulations.
Zero Hours Contracts
Vince Cable has stepped in to ban abuses of controversial zero-hours contracts.
The Liberal Democrat business secretary said "unscrupulous" employers had been abusing the flexibility offered by the contracts. Cable said that zero hours contracts still had a place in the labour market - offering working opportunities especially for students and older people. But he announced plans to ban exclusivity clauses, which tie people to one employer.
Flexible Working
Every employee now has the right to request flexible working hours after the government extended the right previously reserved for carers and those looking after children.
As part of the right, employees can expect their request to be considered "in a reasonable manner" by employers.
"Modern businesses know that flexible working boosts productivity and staff morale, and helps them keep their top talent so that they can grow," said Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
