Employers’ organisations have welcomed news that the Fixed Term Employee
Regulations, due to be implemented on 10 July, have been delayed to 1 October.
The Government announced the delay last week because of concerns that the
Employment Bill, in which the legislation will be included, has not yet
received Royal Assent.
The CIPD and CBI believe the delay will give employers much-needed extra
time to prepare for the legislation, which will mean organisations will have to
provide workers on fixed-term contracts with pay and pensions comparable to
those of permanent staff.
CIPD lead adviser on public policy, Diane Sinclair, is relieved the
Department for Trade and Industry has put back the implementation date.
"It seems a sensible move to delay the date that the regulations come
into force. This will help practitioners grappling with the issues
involved," she said.
And Anthony Thompson, senior policy adviser for the CBI, said the employers’
body had lobbied for the delay.
