The Government’s Employment Bill has received Royal Assent. It aims to support for working parents, while reducing red tape for employers.

The package for parents includes:
– six months paid and a further six months unpaid maternity leave for working mothers;
– two weeks paid paternity leave for working fathers;
– six months paid and a further six months unpaid leave for working adoptive parents;
– a total increase of over 60% in the rate of statutory maternity pay from #62 to #100,

– reimbursement of maternity, paternity and adoption payments made by employers, with a full 100% recoverable by small employers and a further compensation payment on top;
– the legal right to apply to work flexibly for parents with children under 6 years;
– the legal right to apply to work flexibly for parents with disabled children up to the age of 18 years.

A consultation on draft regulations needed to implement the right to apply to work flexibly is taking place and will close on 19 July 2002.

The Act also includes steps to help employers and employees resolve their disputes internally, and proposals to modernise the employment tribunal system.

These include:
– new minimum standards for disciplinary and grievance procedures which apply to all workplaces and all employees;
– new requirements for employees in certain circumstances to raise grievances with their empoyer before applying to a tribunal;
– a fixed period of conciliation to promote timely settlement of disputes and other measure to modernise employment tribunals

These changes will come into effect later in 2003 following further consultation on the detailed regulations and a full programme of advice and guidance to ensure that businesses and individuals are fully aware of the changes.