Legal Timetable.
Below is the legal timetable provided by the
Office of Public Sector Information.
Weekly working time limits for doctors in training reduced to 48
hours
1 August 2009
The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003 amend the Working Time Regulations 1998 to provide for the 48-hour working time limit for doctors in training to be phased in over a period ending on 31 July 2009. After initially restricting weekly working time limits for doctors in training to 58 hours from 1 August 2004, then to 56 hours from 1 August 2007, the Regulations make a further reduction to 48. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.
Employers prevented from including tips in minimum
wage
1 October 2009
National
minimum wage legislation is amended to stop employers using tips to top up staff
pay in order to meet the national minimum wage. Currently, employers can count
service charges and gratuities processed through the payroll towards their
obligation to pay the minimum wage.
Centralised vetting system for people working with children and
vulnerable adults comes into force
12
October 2009
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act will introduce a centralised vetting system for people banned from working with children and vulnerable adults. Employers will be able to make checks online, with information updated straight away when any individual is added to the list.
Employers will be informed where possible if an individual becomes barred. There will be fines of up to £5,000 for employers that knowingly employ individuals on the list or fail to make the relevant checks. The Act can be viewed on the UK Parliament website.
Right to request time off for training is
introduced
To be confirmed
A right to request time off to undertake training, modelled on the
right to request flexible working, is introduced. Employers will be obliged to
consider seriously requests that they receive, but will be able to refuse a
request where there is a good business reason for doing so. Employers will not
be obliged to meet the salary or training costs to enable a request for time off
to train to be met.
Extension of right to time off for public duties
To be confirmed
The right to time off for employees serving in a wider range of civic roles is extended. It is proposed that the right to time off for public duties under s.50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 should be extended to cover roles such as members of probation boards; members of court boards; and youth offender panel members. It is also proposed that roles in the housing sector, such as board members of registered social landlords and tenant management organisations, should be covered by time off entitlements.
Maternity pay is extended to 12 months The Government intends to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months.
This follows an extension to nine months from April 2007. The Work and
Families Act (PDF format, 135K), which will bring this provision into force
can be viewed on the Opsi website.
April 2010
Paternity leave and pay is extended
April 2010
The Government intends to allow fathers to benefit from up to 26 weeks' paid additional paternity leave if the mother of the child returns to work before the end of the maternity leave period to which she is entitled. The Work and Families Act (PDF format, 135K), which will bring this provision into force can be viewed on the OPSI website.