in brief

This
month’s news in brief

Regulations
do not comply with EC law

The
Government’s stipulation that workers must complete a 13-week qualifying period
before they can take paid annual leave is contrary to EC law, according to a
recent ruling by the European Court of Justice. It is expected that the
Government will act quickly to amend the Working Time regulations to comply
with EC law.

On-the-spot
legal costs for making false claims

From
16 July, new tribunal rules come into force aimed at dissuading plaintiffs from
making false or "misconceived" claims, with tribunals having the
power to award "on-the-spot" legal costs of up to £10,000. Powers to
strike out weak claims will also be increased.

Religious
discrimination prevention measures

Measures
to prevent employees discriminating against potential employees according to
religion and sexual orientation must be in place by December 2003, in order to
comply with the EC directive on discrimination. Laws against religious
discrimination are already in place in Northern Ireland.

Launch
of Criminal Records Bureau delayed

The
launch of the Criminal Records Bureau has been delayed indefinitely after a
recent audit showed that 65 per cent of the records stored had errors. The
CRB’s disclosure service, which was due to be launched this autumn, was created
to provide registered employers with access to information on a potential
employee’s criminal record.

Stress-related
illness

Stress-related
illness is responsible for the loss of 6.5 million working days each year,
costing employers around £370m, according to the HSE which has published a
guide to preventing work-related stress. Tackling work-related stress: a
managers’ guide to improving and maintaining employee health and well being
helps identify who is at risk and advises on preventative steps. See www.hsebooks.co.uk

Minimum
wage to rise

The
National Minimum Wage will rise to £4.10 in October and, depending on economic
conditions, will rise again to £4.20 by October 2002.