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UK pensions crisis – huge challenge ahead, warns report

NINE million working people in the UK will be left with inadequate pensions unless they save more or retire later according to the Pensions Commission report published today (October 12).

Age discrimination in spotlight as pension crisis looms

Age discrimination in employment is spotlighted as the UK faces a looming pensions crisis, according to a report in the Observer newspaper by the man in charge of sorting it all out, Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson. (10/04)

Workplace temperature row cools

The issue of uncomfortable and potentially dangerous temperature in the workplace will return to the agenda for further discussion in Spring 2005, trade union Usdaw has been assured. (10/04)

Social Chapter is “threat to British jobs”

Conservative Party leader Michael Howard has told the annual party conference that if elected the Tories will want to withdraw from the Social Chapter – the EU agreement concerning employment rights and pay. (10/04)

Loophole deprives homeworkers of basic employment rights, claim

The National Group on Homeworking and the TUC have called on the Government to close the current legal loophole that means millions of homeworkers are still losing out on basic employment rights. (10/04)

DDA reforms will end blanket bans on people with diabetes and asthma in emergency services

Campaigners believe changes to the Disability Discrimination Act will end blanket bans on people with diabetes and asthma working in the emergency services. (10/04)

New statutory procedures are slammed as too complicated

New grievance and disciplinary procedures that come into force today (Friday Oct 1, 2004) are so complicated that employees who have been treated badly at work will be denied access to justice, says the TUC. (10/04)

New Employment Tribunal Regulations

From today (October 1, 2004) new regulations govern procedures in Employment Tribunal proceedings. (10/04)

Employment law changes effective from October 1

October 1 introduces a series of important changes to employment law in the workplace, covering new statutory dispute resolution and dismissal procedures, new rights for people with disabilities, changes to the National Minimum Wage, and revised Employment Tribunal procedures. (09/04)

CBI is stuck in a minimum wage 'Groundhog Day'

The CBI has been accused of being "stuck in a National Minimum Wage ‘Groundhog Day’ continuing to argue that it could cost jobs despite evidence that jobs have gone up every time the minimum wage has increased". (09/04)

Small firms drowning under tide of employment legislation

Britain's small businesses are struggling to cope with the endless stream of new workers' rights, according to a report in the Sunday Times. (09/04)

Employers failing to pay Tribunal awards

Winning an Employment Tribunal and being awarded compensation proves to be a hollow victory for many workers when their employer fails to pay up, says charity Citizens Advice. (09/04) 

Working Time Directive “disappointing” says TUC

Commenting on the EU Commission’s proposals for the revision of the EU Working Time Directive, which include the continuation of the opt-out for UK workers from the 48 hour working week, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, said: "This is a disappointing decision that will satisfy no-one. (09/04)

Employers losing £3 billion to domestic violence

Time off work due to injuries caused by domestic violence is costing employers and workers nearly £3 billion a year according to figures released by the Government. (09/04)

We'll fight working time reforms "tooth and nail" says CBI

Britain's business community will fight "tooth and nail" against proposed EU restrictions on working hours, says the CBI. (09/04)

Tougher EU working time regulations are planned, but UK can keep 48-hour week opt-out

The EU Commission is getting tougher on working time. It has announced today (Wednesday September 22, 2004) proposals for new measures to enforce the 48-hour working week. (09/04)

Sacking someone to be "virtually impossible" says The Times

It will be virtually impossible to sack someone once new dispute resolution procedures come into force – that's the verdict of top people's newspaper the Times in a story about the introduction of statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures from October 1. (09/04)

Employment Relations Bill gives strikers more protection

Workers on official strike are to get a further four weeks protection against unfair dismissal as a result of the new Employment Relations Bill, which update various areas of the 1999 Employment Relations Act, mostly relating to labour law and trade union rights, and has now become law. (09/04)

Employment rights top of Labour's agenda

Employment rights are back in the political spotlight as Labour seeks to present a radical agenda to win a third term in office, according to a newspaper report. (09/04)

Employers attack unions for "looking in dustbin of history"

Trade unions have come under attack from the employers' group the Confederation of British Industry for seeking more regulation in the labour market. (09/04)

Pensioners lose unfair dismissal fight

Two pensioners who have spent more than five years fighting for the right to redundancy pay and to claim unfair dismissal have had their case rejected by the court of Appeal. (09/04)

Statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures must be used by employers from October 1

On 1 October the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 come into force.
They lay down disciplinary, dismissal and grievance procedures that employers must follow when dealing with problems in the workplace or dismissing employees. (09/04)

UK Businesses ‘cannot run and cannot hide’ from equal access laws after October 1st

New equal access laws coming into force in October 2004 will have as dramatic an effect on opening up business and services to disabled people in the UK as similar laws have had in the United States, the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has said. (09/04)

Disability Discrimination Act – small business exemption ends October 1

As originally implemented, the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act did not apply to an employer who has less than 15 employees in total. On 1 October 2004 this exemption is abolished and all employers are subject to the DDA. (09/04)

Changes to the National Minimum Wage

The Government has announced an increase to the National Minimum Wage rates, which will take place in October 2004. (09/04)

Tribunal applications increase by 17 per cent

The number of applications to Employment Tribunals went up by 17 per cent last year. Disclosed in the annual report of the Employment Tribunals Service, the figures show 115,042 applications were registered in 2003-2004 compared to 98,617 the year before. (07/04)

More protection for disabled people

The Government has signalled its intention to bring down any remaining barriers to equality for Britain's ten million disabled people, with a minister describing disability rights as "the last great cause of emancipation in our time". (07/04)

Inquiry into flexible working

The Equal Opportunities Commission is to carry out an inquiry into how legislation that allows parents to seek flexible working arrangements is working. (07/04)

High-flyer aims for record £7m employment tribunal payout

A city high-flyer has launched what is reported to be one of the biggest potential employment tribunal claims ever seen in the UK. (06/04)

"£ 1m" settlement for pregnant lawyer

A lawyer who claimed she was sacked after she revealed she was pregnant, has reached an out of court settlement with her employers reported by some newspapers to be worth around £1million. (03/04)

Minimum wage for under-18s

The Government has announced a minimum wage for youth workers. (03/04)

Green light to compensation for hurt feelings in unfair dismissal cases

A landmark decision by the Court of Appeal has given a green light for employment tribunals to make compensatory awards for hurt feelings in unfair dismissal cases. (02/04)

Statutory procedures – big impact for small businesses

New regulations currently before Parliament will dramatically change the way small businesses throughout the UK deal with staff grievances and dismissals.(02/04)

Two dates to remember for employment law changes

Employment law changes are to be based around two dates in the year, one in April and one in October. (02/04)

Up to £55,000 compensation for unfair dismissal

The maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal that can be awarded by an employment tribunal has gone up to £55,000, since February 1. (02/04)

News archive – employment law stories from 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000.