Uk Employment Law Changes? Your Hr Consultants Know About It!

By Author: Avena Foster
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You may wonder if it is worth spending your money on hiring an HR Consultancy in London to support your business. On the one hand, you can deal with your hiring processes and payroll in-house. However, you may need to ask whether you are operating within the new legal regulations. Wrong procedures could lead to litigation and costly legal fees that can be avoided by simply having expert advice from a UK HR consultant.
The following changes in employment law came into force on 25th June 2013 by the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013:

Dismissal for political opinions
Removal of the 2-year qualification period for dismissals on the grounds of political opinions or affiliations, following the case of Redfearn -v- The United Kingdom. The amendment means that an employee unfairly dismissed, solely due to their political opinions or affiliation, does not need to be employed for 2 years in order to bring a claim. This applies to all dismissals where the effective date of termination is on or after 25 June 2013.

Changes to whistleblowing protection
The Employment Rights Act 1996 will be amended ...
... so that a ‘disclosure’ made by an employee when they whistle-blow will only be protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 if the employee reasonably believes it is made in the public interest. Note that the disclosure does not have to be in the public interest in reality, provided the employee reasonable believed that it was at the relevant time.
Disclosures no longer need to be made “in good faith” (although if it is not made in good faith an employment tribunal can reduce compensation awarded to an employee by up to 25%). Employers can now be held vicariously liable for any detriment suffered by a whistle-blower and personal liability has also been introduced for co-workers who victimise whistle-blowers for all disclosures made on or after 25 June 2013. However, the employer has a defence where it took all reasonable steps to prevent the detriment.
Finally, the definition of “worker” has been widened to include numerous NHS contractors and the government now has the power to introduce further categories of “worker” entitled to whistleblowing protection in the future.

Changes to rules for awarding deposit orders and costs
Tribunals now have the power to make a deposit order in relation to a specific part of a claim or response only, rather than the whole claim. Tribunals can now also make a costs order for payment of witnesses expenses, where a preparation time order has also been made.

Cap on compensatory award for unfair dismissal
The government now has the power to introduce a cap on the compensatory award for unfair dismissal claims, with the current intention being to cap the award at some point in the near future at the lower end of one year’s pay and the existing limit (£74,200).

The above is a summary of the main changes that could affect your company’s policies and their compliance with the current legislation. To ensure you keep on top of any changes at all times, ask your UK HR consultant for advice or hire the services of an HR Consultancy for your London-based business.

With the expert advice of a UK HR consultancy you will be able to design an HR plan that covers your business’ needs. A consultancy will help you spot areas where your staff management procedures are being productive; and other aspects where your company needs improvement. An HR training program will also be beneficial for your HR staff to keep updated on the latest trends and techniques in employee management.

A UK HR consultancy can help you design the best strategy to ensure that your employees know that they matter. If your employees feel as though they matter it will increase their confidence and their productivity. The more valuable your employees feel, the more value they will add to your company.

The Article is written by www.lotushr.co.uk/ providing services in hr consultancy London and uk hr consultants. www.lotushr.co.uk/ services are HR Consultancy, HR management, HR Training and Development, HR Essential Training Course and HR Advices Session. Visit http://www.lotushr.co.uk/ for more information on HR consultancy.