The aspects of employment covered by law can be divided into four different sections. They are:-
1. Health and safety at work act 1974
2. Data protection 1998
3. Employment rights and responsibilities 1996
4. Pay and pensions
1.2: List the main features of current employment legislation
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The Health and safety acts main feature is to provide a framework for ensuring the health and safety of all employees in any work activity. It requires employees to be provided with a safe working environment and safe systems of work. It also provides for anyone who may be affected by work activities. E.g.: Pupils, Students and visitors to education sites including parents and contractors. The Act also covers the duties of employees at work. Employees must take reasonable care for the safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. They should co-operate with their employers and others in carrying out their statutory obligations.
Data Protection 1998
The data protection acts main feature is to protect people's fundamental rights and freedoms and in particular their right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data. The Data Protection Act was developed to give protection and lay down rules about how data about people can be used. The 1998 Act covers information or data stored on a computer or an organised paper filing system about living people .In practice it provides a way for individuals to control information about themselves. Most of the Act does not apply to domestic use. An example of this would be: Keeping a personal address book. Anyone holding personal data for other purposes is legally obliged to comply with this Act, subject to some exemptions. The Act defines a numerous amount of data protection principles. It also requires companies and individuals to keep personal information to themselves.
Employment rights and responsibilities
The main feature of this act is that it covers the majority of the areas in employment. These areas will be covered in the workplace as company policies and procedures. There are many areas of this act but the main feature of this act relates to areas such as Health and Safety, the provision of Terms and Conditions of Employment, Equal Opportunities and the right to be paid a Minimum Wage. The Health and Safety at Work Acts set out responsibilities and rights for both employees and employers. Employees are expected to carry out their work in a way that has regard to the safety of others. Employers are expected to abide by a range of requirements governing such aspects as providing safe machinery and equipment, carrying out regular health and safety checks, ensuring the training of employees in health and safety issues, and carrying out a risk assessment to assess the dangers of particular work activities. There are also specific regulations about the way in which potentially harmful substances should be used and stored. There are a number of requirements about the minimum temperature at work, and other aspects of working conditions.
Employees are expected to receive the terms and conditions of their work setting out when their work commences, what their main duties are, who they are accountable to, rates of pay, and other entitlements.
Pay and pensions
The main feature of pay and pensions is to automatically enrol workers into a work place pension scheme if they:- are aged between 22 and State Pension age earn more than £9,440 a year work in the UK
This is called ‘automatic enrolment’.
Types of workplace pensions
There are 2 main types of workplace pension. Your employer decides which type of scheme you are offered.
Defined contribution pension schemes
These are also known as ‘money purchase’ schemes.
The money is invested by a pension provider chosen by your employer. The amount you get when you retire usually depends on:- how much