Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Corporate manslaughterEmployment lawLatest News

Employers cautious about corporate manslaughter Bill

by Michael Millar 24 Mar 2005
by Michael Millar 24 Mar 2005

Employers have expressed reservations about the draft corporate manslaughter Bill, announced yesterday by the government.


Home secretary Charles Clarke announced the Bill, which will create a new criminal offence of corporate manslaughter. It was a manifesto commitment in Labour’s 2001 general election campaign.


If the Bill becomes law, companies could be prosecuted for manslaughter if someone dies because a firm’s senior management ‘grossly fails to take reasonable care for the safety of employees or others’.


However, under the draft Bill, company directors will not face jail. The maximum penalty will be an unlimited fine.


The Institute of Directors (IoD) welcomed the draft Bill provisions including focusing on the responsibility of an organisations’ working practices rather than limiting investigations to individual company bosses, no new burdens to be placed on companies which already comply with health and safety legislation and an extension to cover the government departments.


However, the IoD said it was concerned that unincorporated bodies (for example trade unions and partnerships) were not included and should be as a matter of priority.


John Cridland, deputy director general of the CBI, said there was already a mass of regulation that offers protection to employees, customers and the public.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“We understand the political need to reassure the public that everything is being done to make businesses accountable, but the draft Bill has some way to go if it is to be fair to companies,” he said. “The draft Bill is right to focus on organisations and not individuals, but company structures vary and it needs to be much clearer about who will be regarded as ‘senior management’ and be held responsible.


“The draft is also right to distinguish between grossly negligent companies, which deserve to have the book thrown at them, and genuinely responsible employers who do everything possible to ensure safety. It is vital this fundamental principle is not undermined before any Bill becomes law.”

Michael Millar

previous post
Standard Life wins recognition for decade of investing in people
next post
Public support for smoking ban in Northern Ireland

You may also like

Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for Employment Rights Bill

1 Jul 2025

Ethnicity and disability pay gaps: Ready to report?...

1 Jul 2025

Government moves swiftly on immigration reform

1 Jul 2025

One in eight senior NHS managers from black...

1 Jul 2025

Government launches ‘landmark’ review of parental leave

1 Jul 2025

Clarks cuts 1,200 jobs after ‘year of transition’

1 Jul 2025

How HR can support families with adoption

1 Jul 2025

Co-op equal pay claims move onto next stage

30 Jun 2025

‘Be direct’ to avoid escalating conflict, advises Acas

30 Jun 2025

Reforming paternity leave could benefit UK by £13bn...

30 Jun 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+