By Royal command…

The Queen’s Speech, containing the Government’s latest legislative programme, took place on 8 May 2013. The announcements relevant to employment law included:

• increased fines for businesses employing illegal workers (currently up to £10,000 per illegal worker);
• a £2,000 employment NIC ‘Employment Allowance’ for all businesses and charities. This will commence from April 2014;
• measures to stop the use of offshore companies to avoid paying NICs; and
• the removal of the ability of Tribunals to make wider recommendations in successful discrimination cases.

This is relatively quiet, compared to other years but, of course, as set out above, there are plenty of other reforms coming our way!