The first half of 2010 sees the introduction of some wide ranging changes in employment legislation across the UK.

The ‘Big Freeze’ has caused serious problems for businesses throughout the UK, largely caused by the difficulties experienced by commuters.  Coupled with school closures, the weather has led to absence levels soaring. It is vitally important that organisations now take the time to consider how they fared over the winter and if any lessons can be learned.

Recent weather conditions have resulted in many employees working in offices that are colder than usual.  This can normally be overcome by switching up the heating, and/or wearing warmer clothing. In the absence of any central heating or similar, this can be a difficult issue to tackle.  In this situation it is important to consider whether the cold temperature could affect the health of any employees.

It has been revealed that the Government has hired 349 illegal workers during the past four years.  It was found that the workers were given jobs in various Whitehall departments, the NHS, and even the Home Office itself.  This highlights how difficult it can be to keep track of the immigration status of employees, especially since permission to work in the UK can be withdrawn during the course of employment without the employers knowing. 

Research has revealed that 1 in 20 disabled employees were made redundant during the past year.  The research carried out by Leonard Cheshire Disability found that the gap between able bodied and disabled employees is growing due to a combination of being unfairly selected for redundancy, and being discriminated against in the recruitment process.

Research from Warwickshire University shows that stress related absence continues to rise, with more than 13.5 million absence days blamed on stress over the last year.  This issue is brought into focus by the current financial crisis, as people feel increased pressure to perform at work and fear redundancy.