The Employment Bill 2002, which the Government hopes will
deliver a balanced package of support for working parents while
also reducing red tape for employers and making it easier to settle
disputes in the workplace, received Royal Assent this week, meaning
that it is now the Employment Act 2002.
The new law will give mothers up to a year off work, recognise
the rights of fathers and adoptive parents to paid time off for the
first time and help business by simplifying rules governing
maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay.
The package includes:
- six months paid and a further six months unpaid maternity leave
for working mothers;
- two weeks paid paternity leave for working fathers;
- six months paid and a further six months unpaid leave for
working adoptive parents;
- a total increase of over 60% in the rate of statutory maternity
pay from £62 to £100 and;
- reimbursement of maternity, paternity and adoption payments
made by employers, with a full 100% recoverable by small employers
and a further compensation payment on top.
The Act also includes steps to help employers and employees
resolve their disputes internally, and measures to modernise the
employment tribunal system.
These include:
- new ways of handling disputes in the workplace and requirements
for employees to raise grievances with their employer before
applying to a tribunal;
- changes to the way tribunals calculate awards to support
discussion in the workplace;
- a fixed period of conciliation to promote timely settlement of
disputes and;
- a fast track system and other measures to modernise employment
tribunals.
After concerns expressed during consultation, the new Employment
Act does not include measures to charge applicants for bringing a
claim before an employment tribunal.
The new law is due to come into force in April 2003.
