Are you prepared for the forthcoming changes to Working Time Regulations?
New Working Time (Amendment) Regulations are set to increase statutory holidays to a minimum of 28 days, including the eight public and bank holidays. Temporary and Part-time Workers will also be entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata.
In order to help businesses adjust the changes will occur in two stages. From 1 October 2007 statutory holiday entitlement will rise from 20 days to 24. A second increase will come in to effect from 1 April 2009, when statutory entitlement will rise from 24 days to 28.
Previously employers were entitled to count the eight days of bank holidays as part of a worker’s entitlement to 20 days holiday a year.
As with the existing Working Time Regulations, the new regulations apply to all workers including agency workers. Employers will still be able to exercise the normal controls over when their workers take holidays.
You will not need to issue new contracts of employment to workers as a result of these statutory changes, although they should be considered when standard contracts are next reviewed.
As a transitional measure, payment in lieu of the additional four days leave entitlement will be allowed from 1 October 2007 until 1 April 2009. After this time additional leave entitlement may not be replaced by a payment in lieu, except in cases of termination.
In other changes, the National Minimum Wage also increases to £5.52 an hour from £5.35, on 1 October.
Full details can be found at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2007/uksi_20072079_en.pdf
