Ian Smith reports on fixed-term employees legislation & an EAT decision on dismissal justification
On the legislative front the month up to the beginning of April was a busy one. In an exercise in business-friendly retrenchment, the government provided that flexible working rights are now not to be extended to all parents of children under 18, that the right to time off for study or training is not to be extended to those employed by employers of less than 250 employees and that the “two-tier workforce” code of practice applying to local authorities is now revoked.
On a more positive note, the equality duties in the Equality Act 2010 come into force (albeit that the underpinning regulations are subject to further consultation with a view to a July start, in shorter form), the new employment-related codes (on employment issues generally and specifically on equal pay) come into force on 6 April (which also sees the repeal of the old ones under the specific legislation on sex, race, etc) and the annual social security benefits uprating exercise raises SSP to £81.60 and SMP/SPP/SAP and
