Welcome to Employment Edit, our pick of the key employment law developments from the last couple of weeks:
- Modern slavery – businesses with a total turnover of £36 million or more will be obliged to prepare an annual slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year ending on or after 31 March 2016, as a result of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act being brought into force on 29 October 2015. The Home Office has published guidance for organisations that are required to prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement and please also see our briefing for further information.
- Public sector exit payments – the government has published its response to the public sector exit payments consultation and has confirmed that it will go ahead with its proposal to introduce a cap. This will be initially set at £95,000 and will apply to the majority of public sector exit payments.
- Industrial action – the government has published its response to the consultation on tackling intimidation of non-striking workers and has confirmed that it will not be taking forward its plans to introduce a new criminal offence of intimidation on the picket line or its proposal for unions to publish their plans on intended action during industrial disputes. However, the government will update the Code of Practice on Picketing and provide guidance for those who have suffered online intimidation.
- Zero hours contracts – new rights for employees working under zero hours contracts not to be unfairly dismissed and for workers not to be subjected to a detriment for failing to comply with an exclusivity clause have been published in draft Exclusivity Terms in Zero Hours Contracts (Redress) Regulations 2015.
- Data protection – the Information Commissioner's Office has published a guide on how to disclose information safely: removing personal data from information requests and datasets which gives examples of hidden data in documents and provides guidance on how to ensure individuals cannot be identified in data that is being released as part of a subject access request.
If you would like more information, or specific advice, please contact Roger Bull, or get in touch with your usual Burges Salmon contact.