New Employment Legislation For 2010

The coming year should see a number of new items of employment law legislation coming into force. Some of the changes will include:

• From February 1st, the cap on unfair dismissal compensatory awards will decrease from £66,200 to £65,300. The cap on weekly pay, which is used to calculate the basic award, will stay fixed at £380 until 2011.
• April will see the rate of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay increase from £123.06 to £124.88 per week. The earnings threshold will also be raised from £95 to £97 per week.
• April will also mark the introduction of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. This Act will give employees a right to request unpaid time off from work for training. Only employees with more than six week's service will be entitled to the right, and they must be able to demonstrate that the training they wish to undergo will improve the effectiveness of their work and the performance of the employer's business.