Changes to the law
Employment Relations Bill: a leap in the maximum compensation awarded in cases of unfair dismissal. The revised Bill raises the maximum compensation limit from £12,000 to £50,000. Unfair dismissal cases heard by an employment tribunal cover discrimination against sex, race, religion, the disabled and membership of a trade union.
The 1984 Data Protection Act: undergoing radical changes to give employees the right to access any of their paper-based records with no questions asked. Individuals will be able to receive copies of their personnel files on request and demand any inaccuracies be corrected or removed. They will also have the right to be told for what purposes sensitive personal data relating to them is being processed and who else has access to the records. The changes will be in force at the end of the year.
Employment Rights Act: new mothers will be given additional maternity rights as compulsory maternity leave has been added to the act. It means employers will not be allowed to force any mother to return to work within two weeks of giving birth.