Jan 2010 Time off for Training
The right to request time off for training is being introduced on 6 April 2010 for businesses with 250 staff or more and will be extended to firms of all sizes in 2011.  The procedure to be followed will be very similar to that which has to be followed when requesting flexible working.  The employee must have at least 26 weeks service and be able to demonstrate how the training will be of benefit to the employees’ effectiveness and the employers business.  There will be no obligation on the employer to pay for the training or pay the employee for the time off if approved.

Sept 09 - Redundancy pay changes again on 1 October 2009. 
The cap on a weeks pay for the purposes of calculating redundancy pay has been increased again with effect from the 1 October 2009.  The new figure is now £380 per week.

6 April 2009 - Demise of the statutory discipline, grievance and dismissal procedures
The 6 April 2009 sees the end of statutory dismissal procedures and the introduction of the ACAS Code of Practice which should simplify matters for employers.  However, whilst the Code itself is only some 11 pages long it is accompanied by a 74 page guide!  Furthermore there are transitional arrangements in place which mean that any proceedings commenced before the 6 April will continue to be dealt with under the old rules until completion of those proceedings.

April 2009 - Other changes being introduced
Other changes being introduced at the beginning of April 2009, in addition to the introduction of the ACAS Code of Practice include the right to request flexible working for parents of children up to the age of 16 and the increase in the minimum statutory holiday entitlement to 28 days which may include Bank Holidays.

3 December 2008 - Redundancy Pay - A weeks pay for calculation purposes
The maximum amount of a week’s pay used when calculating statutory redundancy pay rises from £330 to £350 with effect from 1 February 2009.

3 December 2008 - Other increases
Increases in the limits applying to certain employment tribunal awards and other amounts payable under employment legislation will also take effect from 1 February 2009;

The limit on compensatory awards for unfair dismissal rises from £63,000 to £66,200;

The maximum statutory redundancy payment/basic award rises from £9,900 to £10,500.

The above increases apply in respect of claims where the date of termination is on or after 1 February 2009. In the mean time existing compensation limits will continue.

3 December 2008 - End in sight for the Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures
The statutory dispute resolution procedures will be repealed in April 2009, so watch this space for details of what is to replace them.

15 May 2008 - Proposed new legislation that may have a significant impact on small employers in particular has been announced.
Yesterday, an independent review of how to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children up to the age of 16 was published.

Currently the flexible working Regulations are limited to employees with children under the age of six or 18 in the case of a disabled child and to employees who have caring responsibilities for adults.

A further extension to the right to request flexible working will be significant and it is proposed that legislation amending the existing Regulations will come into force in April 2009.

This is in addition to the proposed right of employees to request time to train which the Prime Minister outlined in his draft Queen's Speech.  This would be modelled on the right to request flexible working, in circumstances where the training would benefit both the employee and the employer. 

Employers will need to think about amending their flexible working policies in preparation of this further change to legislation.

6 November 2007 - Proposed new legislation that will affect employers has been announced in the annual Queens speech.
A summary is shown below.

Apprenticeships (draft) Bill

This bill is likely to give 16 to 18-year-olds an entitlement to an apprenticeship, in an effort to reduce the number of young people not in education, training or employment.

Education and Skills Bill

This bill will require all 16 to 18 year olds to stay in some form of education or training by 2015. It will also place a duty on employers to release young people for the equivalent of one day's training a week.

Employment Bill

This bill proposes clearer and stronger enforcement of employment law and to bring in measures to resolve disputes more quickly.

National Insurance Contributions Bill

This bill would harmonise the upper earnings limit (UEL) for national insurance contributions with the higher rate income tax threshold. The UEL will rise in phases, to match the higher rate income tax threshold by April 2009.

Pensions Bill

This bill will mean eligible workers are automatically enrolled into a pension scheme, with a minimum employer contribution introduced.
New laws will set up an additional state pension system, known as personal accounts.
The system will introduce compulsory pension saving for employees who are not already members of good company pension schemes. Employers as well as staff will have to make contributions. There will be a duty on every employer to contribute to good quality workplace pensions for their employees.
It is expected that the new system will be operational from 2012 with staff paying in 4% of their salaries and employers 3%, with an extra 1% from the government in the form of tax relief.

20th October 2006: Quality Award for Richards HR Solutions

Following an assessment by an independent body, Richards HR Solutions has been awarded ISO 9001 certification. This certification has only been achieved by about 5% of UK businesses and this prestigious award is recognised world wide.

A delighted Trevor Richards said “We have always been proud of the service we offer our clients and the way we conduct our business. Now with the award of ISO 9001 certification, this has been confirmed by independent outside experts who are used to judging quality standards on a daily basis in a variety of trades, industries and professional services firms”.

Stuart Clark a Lead Assessor, who undertook the assessment for QMS Quality Management Systems, paid particular tribute to “the investment and emphasis placed on quality, people and training that enables Richards HR Solutions to provide an efficient service to all their clients”.

The award of ISO 9001 is all the more impressive given that Richards HR Solutions was only established in 2005 to provide a practical and pragmatic HR service to small and medium sized firms and already has clients from a very diverse cross section of businesses.

12th September 2006: We are delighted to announce that Trevor Richards, the Managing Director of Richards HR Solutions has had his professional ability and experience recognised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development by being appointed a Chartered Fellow.

Trevor said, “I am very pleased to have my membership of the CIPD upgraded to Chartered Fellow. It is recognition of my vast experience in the field of HR, but more importantly our clients can be sure they are receiving a first class professional service.”

Thinking of HR? -  think of Richards HR Solutions