Paternity Leave, Flexible working and Other Changes
On 6th April sweeping changes to employment particularly in the area of working parents came into force.
Judith Ellery, head of our Employment Department, says:
"The changes cover a wide range of areas including maternity leave. Statutory maternity pay rises to £100 per week and women have a right to a year off work, although the SMP stops after 26 weeks. As now only the first six weeks of leave is paid at 90% of salary. Men also benefit when their partner gives birth. For children born on or after 6 April 2003 or whose expected week of birth begins on or after that date two weeks' paid paternity leave is given at £100 a week. There are also rights for adoptive parents."
Parents of children under six are give the right to "request" flexible working hours. The employer must give the written request proper consideration but is entitled to reject a request.
Want to know what other people are paid at work? Then the changes relating to equal pay questionnaires are relevant. This allows those applying to a tribunal under equal pay legislation to use questionnaires to seek information from their employer that is relevant to their claim, such as pay levels of other workers.
New rules on working time for young workers aged 16 or 17 are introduced as are new regulations on overtime for night workers, and there is a new definition of "excluded days" in the formula for calculating a workers average weekly working time. These are not the last employment changes this year. On 1st December 2003 the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 take effect, making it illegal to discriminate against someone at work on the grounds of sexual orientation or to victimise or harass someone at work because of this. In December 2006 age discrimination is to be outlawed.
For further information call Judith Ellery or Paul Seath on 0117 9290451 or e-mail
jellery@metcalfes.co.uk or
pseath@metcalfes.co.uk
This press release summarises the law on issues which we believe may be of interest to you. It is not a comprehensive review of the subjects and accordingly is published without responsibility for loss occasioned to any person(s) acting or refraining from action as a result of information published