Employment Law in the UK - How It Looks From the Company's Viewpoint

If you have or are considering operations in the UK and want an in depth summary of regulatory developments in employment law since 1997, check out the 149 page report, Red Tape in the Workplace, prepared for the Institute of Directors. One money quote:

The increase in the burden on business of the extra employment regulations since 1997 has been very significant and the changes in the burden seem to be accelerating. The extra regulations are promoted and imposed by the current administration in order to, specifically, improve “minimum employment standards” and, more generally, deliver its “social justice” programme. But good employers know that they must offer decent terms and conditions if they want to recruit and keep good staff and bad employers will ignore the Government’s pleas to live in a “fairer and more just society”.

I made a similar comment several years ago when testifying before the Texas legislature, arguing that rather than having government set numerous standards, the marketplace for good employees would provide adequate incentive for employers.