In December 2003 the then DTI announced that it would introduce domestic employment regulations for which it has responsibility on two dates each year: April 6th (the start of the tax year) and October 1st (the annual date on which the minimum wage is revised). In February 2005, HSE decided to follow suit and implement changes on the same two dates each year.
A frequently updated list of new and draft employment law related statutory instruments is available on the emplaw website.
There follows below an index of links to notes in this program on some of the more important employment law topics currently subject to proposed changes:
| SUBJECT | click for MAIN RELEVANT NOTES | proposed &/or likely implementation |
| Agency Workers (new anti-discrimination rules) | Employment agencies/EU directive on temps (2008) | 1st October 2011 |
| Compensation limits | Compensation/2009 limit increases | 1st February (annually) and one-off increase in a week's pay where the appropriate date is on or after 1st October 2009 |
| Discrimination law (introduction of multiple discrimination claims) | Bills before Parliament/Equality Bill | April 2011 |
| Equality Bill | Bills before Parliament/Equality Bill | 2010/2011 |
| Immigration Bill (draft) | Bills before Parliament/Immigration Bill (draft) | 2011?? |
| Maternity and Adoption Leave and Pay (extension to 52 weeks) | Statutory maternity pay (''SMP'') and/or maternity allowance and/or Statutory adoption pay | was to be if expected week of childbirth/adoption begins on or after 1st April 2010 - postponed in September 2009 until "after the general election" |
| Minimum Wage increases | Minimum Wage/2008 and 2009 increases | 1st October (annually) |
| Minimum Wage - adult rate age to drop from 22 to 21 | Minimum Wage/2008 and 2009 increases | 1st October 2010 |
| Minimum Wage - service charges, tips & gratuities | Minimum Wage/what is wages? | 1st October 2009 |
| Partnership law | Partnerships/Partnerships Bill | draft only - not known |
| Partnership law (Companies Act 2006 related changes for LLPs) | Partnerships/Limited Liability Partnerships | 1st October 2009 |
| Paternity Leave and Pay (introduction of additional rights) | statutory paternity pay (''SPP'') | if expected week of childbirth/adoption begins on or after 1st April 2011 |
| Pensions (employers to register employees in their own qualifying scheme or a "NEST" personal accounts scheme) | Pensions/2008 Pensions Act | 2012 |
| Protection of Children (the "Children's Barred List" and the "Adult's Barred List" replace the previous List 99, the Protection of Children Act List ("POCA") and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list ("POVA")). | Acts of Parliament etc/Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 | 12th October 2009 |
| Services Directive 2006/123/EC | Freedom of movement of workers/a general introductory note | final date for implementation is 28th December 2009. |
| Statutory Redundancy Pay (increase in week's pay limit to £380) | Redundancy Pay/calculation of statutory redundancy pay/basic calculation | 1st October 2009. |
| Temporary/agency workers (minor changes) | Employment Agencies/a general note | 1st October 2009. |
| Temporary/agency workers (EU Directive 2008/104/EC) | Employment Agencies/EU directive on temps (2008) | final date for implementation is 5th December 2011. |
| Time off for training | Time off work/training | April 2010. |
| Whistleblowing (disclosure by tribunals to regulators) | Whistleblowing/a general note | 6th April 2010 |
| Working time - doctors in training | Working Time Regulations/doctors | 1st August 2009 (final stage - 48 hrs max pw, partly postponed until 31st July 2011) |