Employment Law

08/09/2008   New employment laws in force from Sunday 6th April, 2008

Employers will have to comply with a set of new laws from Sunday as legislation passed in recent months comes into force. They will have new responsibilities for workers who die through their negligence and will face changed sex discrimination laws.

The start of April is a traditional time at which laws take effect, and a number of employment-related laws will come into force on April 6.

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 will create a new criminal offence of corporate manslaughter, or corporate homicide in Scotland, covering deaths due to an employer's actions.

The new offence replaces the old one of gross negligence, and opens companies up to fines of up to 10% of their turnover.

Employers will also face changed rules on sex discrimination. The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act has been amended to take account of a court ruling which ordered the Government to change the law to take account of a European Union Directive, the Equal Treatment Directive.

The new law will make the definition of sexual harassment wider, and will make employers liable for the actions of third parties in some cases.