This month’s news in brief
Fixed Term Employee Regulations in force
The Fixed Term Employees Regulations came into force this month, making it
illegal to treat staff on fixed-term contracts less favourably than their
permanent counterparts.
EEF wants skilled temps excluded from directive
The Engineering Employers Federation is pushing for an amendment to the
agency workers directive that would exclude highly paid, skilled temps from the
rules as long as they earn more than average earnings.
Parceline delivers on move to cut payouts
Postal company Parceline has slashed payouts for unfair dismissal by 80 per
cent after increasing manager training to help them handle disciplinary and
grievance issues more consistently and professionally. From 1997 to 1999 the
average annual payout for claims was £67000 but this has now been cut to
£13000.
Companies lag behind with equality training
Many employers are becoming complacent about equality and diversity and are
failing to keep up with legislation, according to a survey by law firm Pinsent
Curtis Biddle. More than 30 per cent of firms don’t review policies regularly
and only around 53 per cent provide diversity training.
Temps directive ‘will damage business’
More than 70 per cent of employers believe the EU directive on temporary
workers will damage their business. Seventy-nine per cent forecast it will
increase staffing costs and 68 per cent say they will use fewer temps,
according to a survey by Personnel Today and Manpower. More than two-thirds say
they pay their temps the same or more than an equivalent permanent employee.
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