Michael Salter & Chris Bryden report on the recent flurry of reforms introduced to UK employment law
April and October are traditionally busy months for business, and therefore for employment lawyers, with new legislation, guidance and regulations being issued and coming into force. April 2011 was no different, with a wide range of areas of employment law being affected by the zeal of government for reform.
Areas from termination payments to the duties of public authorities under the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) fell to be altered by the latest series of innovation. This article highlights a cross-section of the most important reforms that affect employment lawyers and business.
Default retirement
The most significant alteration in the sphere of employment law is likely to be felt by employers in the realms of retirement as, after much discussion about the wording of the transitional provisions, last month saw the end of the well-known but not well-loved default retirement age of 65.
Following the reforms that have now come into force, employers will only
