Igloo RPO is proud to announce its membership of the IRP’s (Institute of Recruitment Professionals which is part of the REC – Recruitment and Employment Confederation) new Advocacy Programme.

The Advocacy Programme is specifically designed for REC/IRP Corporate Members who are committed to raising and establishing standards and positioning recruitment as a reputable and credible profession. The benefit for clients working with members of the Advocacy Programme is that they can be confident they are working with a service provider who works to a very specific Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and one that is completely committed to raising the standards of the Recruitment Industry.

Advocacy Programme members also follow a commitment to Continuing Professional Development of all staff and ensuring all team members are fully trained on the latest Employment Legislation.

On Tuesday 6 April the Equality Bill passed its final stage in Parliament meaning that it will become law in October 2010.   This latest Bill is likely to affect all businesses in some form or another so it’s probably worth making preparations soon.  The Bill will bring about a number of changes including:

1. Gender Pay Gap Audits: Meaning companies with 100 or more employees will have to report their gender pay gap from 2013.
   
2. Ban on pre-employment health questionnaires: Job applicants with existing health problems or mental-health issues will not be required to disclose this to potential employers unless it directly affects their ability to perform their duties.
3. Ban on discrimination by association: This will encompass the 2008 European Court of Justice’s ruling in Coleman v Attridge Law where legal secretary Sharon Coleman made a claim for harassment and discrimination after requesting time off to care for her disabled son.
4. Positive action in recruitment and promotion: This will enable employers to show favour to minority groups during recruitment or promotion process where they are up against candidates of the same calibre from groups that are already well-represented within the workforce.
5. Single equality duty (from April 2011): This will consolidate all equality law including that covering race, gender and disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment, into one single duty.
6. Guidance on protected beliefs: This plans to give the same level of protection to vegans, atheists and Scientologists as religious groups.
7. Diversity in procurement: Means that private sector firms bidding for government contracts will have to publish their diversity policies publicly.  Goverment organisations will not be able to force diversity policies on private sector firms but will be able to hold them to account over their published policies.
8. Bans on workers discussing pay to be lifted: This is intended to remove secrecy clauses over pay from employment contracts so women are able to more easily challenge differences in pay.
9. Enhanced tribunal powers: This will see a change from the current situation where tribunals can only make recommendations to allowing tribunals the power to force sweeping changes in policy and process in companies found guilty of discrimination.
10. Caste discrimination: This is intended to tackle issues with discrimination against caste or social standing within Hindu and Sikh communities if it is noted to be a problem.

Tuesday 6th April 2010 is a key day for all employers and HR professionals as it sees the implementation of a number of new laws and changes in existing employment law.  Below is an overview:

Fit notes

Sick notes will be replaced by a fit-note system under which GPs can suggest adjustments to an employee’s role and/or workplace to enable them to return to work. The system was recommended in 2008 by Dame Carol Black, the national director for work and health, in her review of sickness absence.

Requests in relation to study or training

Employees will have a legal right to make a request in relation to study or training – for example, time off work to study.  The right is modelled on the procedure allowing parents and carers to make a request for flexible working.  A refusal of a request must be on one or more grounds specified in the legislation.

Additional paternity leave

Additional paternity leave will see fathers allowed to take up to 26 weeks’ paternity leave in the first year of a child’s life.  This will, in effect, allow fathers to share maternity leave with the mother, who will be able to return to work after six months, leaving the father to take what is left of the 12 months’ maternity leave.

Pensions

The minimum pension age increases from 50 to 55 unless retirement is on the grounds of serious ill health, the member has a protected pension age, or the member started taking benefits before 6 April 2020. Meanwhile, the number of years needed to receive a full basic state pension reduces to 30. The state pension retirement age for women born after 6 April 2010 will rise to 65 between 2010 and 2020.

Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay

From 4 April 2010, the standard rates of statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory adoption pay will increase from £123.06 to £124.88.  Statutory sick pay will continue at the rate of £79.15 per week.

For more information and for answers to key questions visit Personnel Today.

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