Employment Act 2006 - What's Happening and When?
The main changes to existing employment law and the dates they took effect are set out below.
Two timetables are available
- Employment Act 2006 - Timetable Right by Right. Legislative Changes and Timetable: a detailed comparison of individual employment rights before and after the new Act arranged by subject with implementation dates and a suggested 'to do' list for employers
- 'At a Glance' in the table below
Further information is available in the Guides to the new rights. These include:-
- a revised guide to employment rights: Isle of Man Employment Rights: A Guide for Employers, Employees and Workers
- stand alone guides for the main new rights.
If you have any queries please contact emplaw@gov.im or Tel: 01624 682371/2.
At a Glance - Key Implementation Dates
| Date | Topic | What's Happening? | Who is affected? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st May 2007 | Written Particulars of statement of terms and conditions | Changes to information required in written particulars. | There is no need for employers to issue new particulars to existing staff. However, new employees, employees changing jobs, or employees who have asked for a new written statement have a right to have the new information included in their written statement. |
| Unlawful Deductions | The Employment Tribunal has a new power to award compensation if a deduction from a worker's pay is found to be unlawful. | ||
| 1st May – 30th September 2007 | Fixed-term Contract and Part-time Employees | During this period part-time employees and fixed-term contract employees who previously had more limited statutory employment rights than other employees are brought fully within the employment law framework. | Part-time employees working less than 16 hours a week and fixed term contract employees. |
| 1st April 2007 | Maternity and Adoption Leave | From this date employees who are eligible to take maternity and adoption leave are protected from detriment or dismissal in respect of exercising the new rights. | Employees where the expected week of childbirth (or in the case of adoption leave, placement or matching) is on or after 30th September 2007. |
| 30th September 2007 | Maternity and Paternity Leave | New leave rights come into force for working parents. | Employees where the expected week of childbirth is on or after 30th September 2007. |
| Adoption Leave | New leave rights come into force for working adopters. | Employees where the date of placement or matching is on or after 30th September 2007. | |
| Parental Leave | New right for parents of disabled children to take unpaid leave to care for the child. | Employees who have made a request on or after 30th September 2007. | |
| Right to Request Flexible Working | New right to request flexible working patterns for parents and carers. | Employees who have made a request on or after 30th September 2007. | |
| Paid Annual Leave | New right to 4 weeks' paid annual leave. | All workers, including agency workers and casuals. | |
| Part-time Workers | Part-time workers gain a new right not to be less favourably treated than comparable full-time workers. | Applies to all part-time workers. | |
| Whistleblowing | Workers who 'blow the whistle' on wrongdoings at work gain legal protection. | All workers | |
| Disciplinary and Grievance | New Code of Practice gives greater guidance. New right of accompaniment at disciplinary and grievance hearings. | ||
| Pension Scheme Trustees | Paid time off for pension scheme trustees. | Employees who are trustees of their employer's occupational pension schemes | |
| Trade Union Membership etc | Inducements by employers to workers not to be trade union members etc. are made unlawful. | All workers. | |
| Unfair Dismissal and Detriment | Changes to the unfair dismissal regime including protection against dismissal and, (in most cases) detriment on various new grounds including:
Also abolition of 1 year qualifying period for protection against dismissal on grounds of racial or religious discrimination | All employees. Workers are protected from detriment on several grounds. | |
| 1st December 2007 | Written Particulars | Employment Tribunal has new powers to compensate employees who have not been issued with written particulars. |
Updated: 28th September 2007
