Employment legislation warning

UK employment law specialists Addleshaw Booth & Co is warning businesses of all sizes to be ready when many of the key provisions of the new Employment Act come into force on April 6.

The new laws include improved maternity rights and new rights to adoption leave and paternity leave. There is also a new right for parents of a child under 6 years (or 18 years if the child is disabled) to request flexible working and have that application seriously considered by their employer.

Commenting on the changes, Andrew Chamberlain, Partner at Addleshaw Booth & Co said: "The new laws will require employers to update their existing maternity policies and introduce new policies for adoption leave, paternity leave and handling requests for flexible working. There is also a need, however, to ensure that the managers responsible for implementing these policies are properly trained - the underlying legislation is complex and there are traps for the unwary. Take, for example, the right to request flexible working.

"The statutory procedure invites employers to consider only the business case when deciding whether to allow a request but that can be dangerous - existing sex discrimination laws mean that in many cases it is crucial to also take account of the individual's needs and circumstances. Putting the policies in place is important but employers also need to know how to implement them correctly because mistakes can result in expensive claims."

The Employment team at Addleshaw Both & Co, who have been advising its clients on the changes, are preparing a suite of training services and products, which will be launched shortly.

Addleshaw Booth & Co comprises 111 partners, over 440 fee earners and a total of more than 1,300 people.

The firm was awarded runner up in Legal Business Awards Property Team of the Year 2002 and winner of NW Business Insider Property Law Firm of the Year 2002. The firm also received eight other major accolades in 2002.