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30 April 2009 / Charlotte Hamer
Issue: 7367 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Employment
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Employment law overhaul

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Charlotte Hamer rounds up a bumper crop of recent employment law changes

The vast majority of statutory changes affecting employment law come into force on one of two dates in each year: 6 April or 1 October. The changes made on 6 April this year were something of a bumper crop, affecting a wide variety of practice areas including:

SDRP

The repeal of the statutory dispute resolution procedures and accompanying provisions (Employment Act 2008, ss 1, 2, 20, Schedule; Commencement No 1, Transitional Provisions and Savings Order 2008, SI 2008/3232, Art 2) (subject to transitional provisions), including repeal of provisions relating to:

      
      ●     automatic unfair dismissal for failure to follow statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedure, and partial reversal of Polkey;

      
      ●     inability to bring a claim where a grievance has not previously been raised; and
  

      ●     extension to time limits in certain circumstances.

ACAS Code changes

Introduction of the new ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures and accompanying provisions under which an unreasonable failure

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