This week’s news in brief
Employers’ Law Briefing conference
The fourth employers’ Law Briefing will take place on Wednesday 9 May 2001
at the British Library in King’s Cross, London. In association with law firm
Rowe & Maw, the one-day conference will offer practical solutions and
advice on how to address work-life balance. For more details and how to book,
see page 10.
Directive has limited effect on working time
The Working Time Regulations have had limited effect since their
introduction two years ago, according to research by the CIPD. Nearly
two-thirds of people who worked more than 48 hours a week when they were
interviewed in July 1998 were still doing so. Only two per cent of those
surveyed said they had their hours reduced as a direct result of the
regulations.
Legislation could lead to staff shortages
European legislation to reduce the working hours of young adults could make
them less attractive to employ and lead to staff shortages, employers’
organisations have warned. A consultation document proposes that 16 to 18 year
olds be subject to a 40 hour limit on their working week – eight hours less
than adult workers.
Companies break law by monitoring e-mails
A fifth of companies could be breaking the law by monitoring employees’
e-mails without their consent or knowledge, according to a survey by law firm
KLegal.
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Review of consultation planned
Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers has announced plans to review the
UK legislation governing consultation with employees over collective
redundancies to see if more should be done to promote effective dialogue.
