Employment law – what to expect

2012 Forward planner

1 April Maternity, paternity and adoption pay standard rates increase to £135.45 per week

6 April Statutory sick pay standard rate increases to £85.85 per week

6 April Qualifying service for unfair dismissal claims expected to increase to 2 years for employees starting work after this date

6 April Changes to Tribunal rules to eg increase maximum deposit and costs orders

1 October Pensions auto-enrolment and minimum employer contributions take effect for bigger employers

1 October Any minimum wage increases take effect

Key

Hearing

Judgment

Other

February 2012

1 February: statutory redundancy pay (and other compensation

amounts) increase: cap on week’s pay = £430; maximum compensatory

award = £72,300

Anar, Attrill & ors

v Dresdner

Kleinwort Ltd &

Commerzbank AG

Continuation of

four week High

Court hearing of

bonus claims by

104 bankers

looking at whether

they had any

contractual

entitlement

Hardy v Meter U

Ltd

EAT considering

whether post-TUPE

transfer dismissals

were automatically

unfair when

employees were re-

engaged on self-

employed basis

Fielding v

Derbyshire

County Council

EAT case on

whether employee

disabled for

discrimination law

purposes where

continuing

treatment meant

that there were no

ongoing symptoms

of the original

medical condition

Breakell v West

Midland Reserve

Forces' and

Cadets'

Association

Court of Appeal

considering

whether a

volunteer was

protected against

disability

discrimination

Tiffin v Lester

Aldridge LLP

Court of Appeal to

rule on whether a

fixed share partner

was an employee

under the

Employment Rights

Act 1996.