Here is a list of the key new legislation that we can expect to see over the weeks and months ahead (source – law firm, Bond Pearce):

• 1 February: Employment tribunal compensation limits will increase under the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2012.
   
•  February: Rounding up of increases to statutory redundancy payments and tribunal award limits.
  
• 8 March: Implementation of the Revised Parental Leave Directive, which will increase parental leave to 18 weeks.
  
•  March: Repeal of the third party harassment provisions and the abolition of discrimination questionnaires in respect of the Equality Act 2010.
  
• 6 April: Collective redundancy consultation period involving 100 or more employees reduced from 90 to 45 days and employees whose fixed-term contracts are due to expire excluded from consultation requirements.
  
•  April: New statutory payment rates to be introduced.
  
•  April: The Children and Families Bill will be introduced, setting out a new system of flexible parental leave and flexible working.
  
• April: The new Employment Tribunals Rules of Procedures will come into force.
  
•  April: The Growth and Infrastructure Bill 2012-13 is planned to come into effect introducing the concept of employee shareholder status.
  
•  April: A public interest requirement to whistleblowing disclosures will be introduced.
  
• Summer: Fees will be introduced in the employment tribunal
  
• Expected in 2013: Aspects of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill 2012-13 are due to come into force including:
• Mandatory pre-claim Acas conciliation
• Enhanced shareholder rights regarding directors’ remuneration; reform of the EHRC designed to clarify its remit, remove non-core activities and improve performance
• Changes to employment tribunal procedure and the orders a tribunal can make
• Pre-termination negotiations to be inadmissible in unfair dismissal proceedings
• EAT judges to sit alone unless they direct otherwise
• Tribunal powers to order equal pay audits.

Also due later this year are:

• The Government’s response to the annual leave aspects of the Modern Workplaces consultation.
• The Government’s response to consultation on the use of settlement agreements, including proposals on the use of a model agreement, standard letters
• A new ACAS Code of Practice on settlements.