2005

1 February

• The limit on the amount of the compensatory award for unfair dismissal increased from £55,000 to £56,800.  The maximum amount of a “week’s pay” for the purposes of calculating basic or additional award of compensation for unfair dismissal or redundancy pay increased from £270 to £280.

April

• The rates of statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity and statutory adoption pay increased to £106 per week (or 90% of the person’s average weekly earnings if that is less that £106.)

4 April

• The Gender Recognition Act 2004 came into force, permitting transsexuals to gain legal recognition of their acquired gender, to marry any gender and to apply for a substitute birth certificate.

6 April

• The rate of statutory sick pay increased to £68.20 per week.
  
  
• The Information and Consultation of Employees’ Regulations 2004 came into force, establishing a framework for informing and consulting employees.  The regulations initially apply to undertakings with 150 or employees.
  
  
• The Transfer of employment (Pension Protection) Regulations 2005 came into force, providing for a minimum level of pension protection for transferred employees following TUPE transfer. 

1 October

• New Employment Tribunal claim and response forms became mandatory.
  
  
• The Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations 2005 came into force, introducing a new definition of indirect discrimination, prohibiting harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace and clarifying that less favourable treatment of women on grounds of pregnancy or maternity leave is unlawful sex discrimination.
  
  
• The National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (Amendment) Regulations 2005 came into force, increasing the minimum hourly rate of the national minimum wage to £5.05 for workers older than 22 and £4.25 per hour for workers between 18 and 21.
  
  
• The remaining sections of the Employment Relations Act 2004 came into force, imposing new duties on employers in relation to union recognition or derecognition, unfair practices in ballots and changes to the information required for a ballot notice or industrial action.

5 December

• The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force, allowing same-sex couples to legally commit to each other by entering into a civil partnership under a civil registration procedure.
  
  
• Sections of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 came into force, amending the definition of disability so that mental illness no longer needs to be clinically well recognised to be a mental impairment.  People with cancer, HIV infection or multiple sclerosis are also deemed disabled, from the point of diagnosis.  This applies, whether or not the condition has an effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
  
  
• The Disability Discriminatory (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2005 came into force, imposing a duty on public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate disability discrimination and to publish a Disability Equality Scheme.
  
  
• The Code of Practice on the public duty to promote disability equality came into force.