Expected

Cap on bankers' bonuses

Bankers' bonuses are expected to be capped from 1 January 2011 due to a new EU Directive that amends the Capital Requirements Directive.

1 Jan 2011

National Minimum Wage (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2010

In response to a consultation held from February to May 2010, the Government has decided to amend National Minimum Wage Regulations to protect National Minimum Wage workers from potentially exploitative travel and subsistence schemes operated by employment businesses and umbrella companies.

1 Jan 2011

Travel expenses can no longer count towards National Minimum Wage

In response to a consultation held from February to May 2010, the Government has decided that action should be taken to protect National Minimum Wage workers from potentially exploitative travel and subsistence schemes operated by Employment Businesses and umbrella companies.

1 Jan 2011

Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2010

The increases to tribunal award limits from 1 February 2011 are set out in the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2010.

1 Feb 2011

Bribery Act 2010

The Bribery Act 2010 will make organisations and their officers liable for acts of bribery committed in the UK and abroad.

April 2011

Further extension of right to request flexible working

The Government has announced that it will extend flexible working to parents of children aged 17 from April 2011.

April 2011

Basic state pension uprate

From April 2011, pensions will rise each year by earnings, inflation or 2.5% — whichever is the higher.

April 2011

Increase in employee personal allowance and National Insurance contributions

The personal allowance for basic rate taxpayers aged 65 and under is to increase by £1000 in April 2011 to £7475.

April 2011

New Public Sector Equality Duty

The Equality Act 2010 includes a new Public Sector Equality Duty, replacing the separate duties on public bodies relating to race, disability and sex equality. The new Duty covers age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment more fully.

April 2011

New rules to stop tax-avoidance schemes for employee pay

The June 2010 Budget announced that legislation would be introduced to tackle arrangements using trusts and other vehicles to reward employees that seek to avoid, defer or reduce tax liabilities.

6 April 2011

Retirement age to be abolished

The Government plans to phase out the Default Retirement Age from April 2011. There will be a six-month transition from the existing regulations between April and October 2011.

6 April 2011

Abolition of Agricultural Wages Board

The Environment Secretary has announced that the Agricultural Wages Board is to be abolished. When the Board is abolished agricultural workers will be brought within the scope of the National Minimum Wage.

TBC

Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees (Amendment) Regulations 2010

These Regulations amend the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999 and implement the recast European Works Council Directive (2009/38/EC). They also implement the Agency Workers Directive in so far as it is relevant to the transnational information and consultation of employees. European Works Councils that are created after 5 June 2011 will be subject to all the revisions introduced by the 2010 Regulations.

5 June 2011

and

1 Oct 2011

Agency Workers Regulations 2010

These regulations will give agency workers the right to equal treatment with permanent staff on pay, holidays and other basic conditions after 12 weeks in a job.

1 Oct 2011

Parental leave to be extended to four months

EU Council Directive 2010/18/EU of 8 March 2010 extends workers’ rights to parental leave from three to four months for each parent. At least one of the four months will not be transferable between parents to encourage fathers to take the leave.

8 Mar 2012

Directive on self-employed workers and assisting spouses

The Directive on self-employed workers and assisting spouses (2010/41/EU) gives self-employed women, assisting spouses and life partners of self-employed workers, the right to maternity leave and allowance for 14 weeks.

5 Aug 2012

Pensions Automatic Enrolment: Employers’ Duties

The Government is introducing four statutory instruments setting out the practical arrangements employers must make to automatically enrol eligible jobholders into a pension scheme.

1 Sept 2012 and

1 Oct 2012

Pensions: Employers’ Duties (Implementation) Regulations 2010

These Regulations set out the dates from which employers have a duty to arrange for jobholders to become active members of automatic enrolment pension schemes.

1 Sept 2012

Pensions Act 2008

From 2012, the Government proposes to provide access to a private pension to all employees aged between 22 and State retirement age, who are earning more than £5000 a year and are not currently enrolled in a workplace pension scheme.

2012

Increase in state pension age

The Coalition Government plans to increase the state pension age.

2018 - 2020