Do you know about the changes to employment legislation?

Do you know the minimum wage rates are to rise? Do you know when?

Let Joy Arkley from the HR Dept West Wales guide you through:

Time for employers and small business owners alike to prick up their ears and take note of the important changes to employment legislation. After all, the ever changing world of employment law can be a minefield for any business owner.

National Minimum Wage rates are to rise from October 2010, with the minimum rate for workers aged 21 and over rising to £5.93 an hour. And for the first time, a minimum wage rate for apprentices has been set. The government has accepted a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to introduce an apprentice minimum wage of £2.50 per hour. The new rate will apply to apprentices under 19 and apprentices aged 19 and over who are in their first year of their apprenticeship.

People will be encouraged to work longer under government plans to scrap the default retirement age of 65 by October 2011. Under the measures, employers will not be able to dismiss staff because they have reached the age of 65.

Joy Arkley of The HR Dept West Wales advises that “this will have a huge impact on how employers operate their businesses and with some transitions taking place as early as April next year, employers don’t have much time to get to grips with the proposals. Planning is key and since the statutory retirement procedure will also be scrapped, it’s important for business owners to seek advice”.
The Equality Act brings together nine separate pieces of legislation, simplifying the law and strengthening it in important ways to help tackle discrimination and inequality. Implementation of the majority of the Equality Act will begin on 1 October 2010. Joy advises that “businesses will need to keep up to date as the Equality Act will have wide ranging implications and will cover most situations where discrimination may be prevalent”.
And don’t forget the changes to maternity and paternity rights which will come into force next April. This will mean that mothers of children due on or after 3rd April 2011 will be entitled to one year’s leave and 26 weeks of it can be swapped with a partner. The HR Dept West Wales specialise in advising small and medium sized businesses on all employment and HR issues. To contact Joy email or call 01239 639128