7 in 10 bosses not prepared for forthcoming HR laws

Peninsula today warns business that are not prepared for the new laws which come into force in April 2007 to get familiar with new HR measures or end up at Tribunal. The laws include changes to national insurance thresholds, rates of statutory sick pay and statutory maternity/adoption/paternity, and sections of the Work and Families Act 2006 come into force.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula BusinessWise today warned bosses:

I am issuing this warning because there is widespread ignorance amongst employers with regard to the new regulations coming into force in April 2007; the fact that 71% of bosses (from a Peninsula polled survey of 1,279 UK employers) are unaware of the new regulations is shocking. To compound this our legal line has received a sharp increase over the last two months in the number of calls from bosses who have not been aware. These new measures once again tip the onus towards employee friendly laws, something which businesses say they have come to expect from the current Government. Bosses simply have to be prepared otherwise they are leaving themselves at risk of being taken to tribunal and all the costly implications and repercussions thereof.

The new regulations are wide ranging and complex; and even if employers are aware of the legislation they are still not going to know where to start. The laws are incredibly hard on small companies, as compared to larger competitors with dedicated human resources departments they are disproportionately the least able to deal with such circumstances.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to keep up-to-date with employment law and any changes which are relevant to them. As such their productivity and reputation are being placed on the line by such developments in legislation. In the current business environment it is incredibly difficult for SMEs to merely survive let alone to prosper or to turn a profit. It is not surprising that 78% of bosses polled think that new legislation weighs too much in favour of employees and maybe the government should revaluate their stance and give consideration to employerís perspective and the damage it is causing.