Following the budget last week and the publication of its so-called Plan for Growth, the government has confirmed a number of changes to employment law some of which had already been trailed in advance of the budget.

The government had already announced that it would:

  • stem the flow of new regulation by introducing a one-in, out-out system 
  • scrap the planned extension in April of the right to request time to train for employees in small and medium sized organisations (fewer than 250 employees)
  • scrap the right to request flexible working to parents with children under 17

 

It has now also announced that it will:

  • introduce a moratorium on new domestic regulation for micro-businesses and start-ups for the next three years from 1 April 
  • scrap proposals for specific regulations, which includes not bringing forward the dual discrimination rule in the Equality Act
  • consult to remove the “unworkable requirement” in the Equality Act for businesses to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment of staff by third parties
  • “invite” the Low Pay Commission in its next report to consider and implement the best way to give business clarity on future levels of the National Minimum Wage, including consideration of two-year recommendations
  • launch a public thematic review to reduce the stock of regulation, with the presumption that all regulations identified as burdensome would be removed unless good reasons are given for them to stay
  • launch a major drive to revise “burdensome EU regulations and directives” including maternity and paternity rights and the Information and Consultation of Employees directive
  • push the European Commission to “deliver a culture change that bears down on the overall impact of EU legislation”
  • make further changes to employment legislation to reduce the cost to businesses of compliance
  • publish an Enforcement White Paper in May 2011 with plans to improve enforcement of regulations, including how to tackle the impact of conflicting regulation on business
  • implement the proposals from Lord Young’s review of health and safety, including bringing in new risk assessment tools, the registration of health and safety consultants, combined inspection programmes and taking action to “constrain” ‘no- win, no-fee’ legal services

 

The full Plan for Growth can be downloaded at: http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk