In this issue we highlight some of the employment law changes that will take place in the future as a result of the change of government and the recent budget. If you would like to discuss any of the articles below or any employment related issue please contact Donna Purchase.

The Government announced recently that it will halt registration with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) of 9 million people working with children and vulnerable adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is in response to criticism that the current scheme is disproportionate, overly burdensome, unduly infringes on civil liberties and creates an atmosphere of suspicion.

Click here to read more.

Following weeks of uncertainty, the government has announced that the first wave of Equality Act implementation will go ahead on 1 October 2010. However, the coalition government has not yet confirmed whether it will implement the power to require larger employers to publish gender pay gap information.

Click here to read more.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, the new Bribery Act is due to come into force in October. The Act sets out four bribery offences:

     1. Bribing – the offering, promising or giving of an advantage.
     2. Being bribed – requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting an advantage.
     3. Bribing a foreign public official. 
     4. The "corporate offence", where a commercial organisation fails to prevent persons
         performing services on its behalf from committing bribery.

Click here to read more about the corporate offence and the defence available.

The Queen's Speech was delivered on 25 May 2010 and included plans to:

• Remove barriers to flexible working and promote equal pay.
• Limit the number of non-EU economic migrants entering the UK.
• Abolish identity cards.

Click here to read more.

The Chancellor delivered his Budget Report on 22 June 2010. Click here to read an update of the key employment-related announcements.

Managing your people will help your business succeed. But employment law can be a major headache as many businesses do not have the knowledge or resources to deal with difficult issues. Lowless HR makes HR easier for you and our services provide you with tailored, flexible, and cost efficient support to meet your organisation's needs and industry. Our Essential support costs from as little as £60 per month.

Click here to read more.