New employment laws can discourage fresh farm jobs
New employment laws can discourage fresh farm jobs
By Peter Grimshaw
NEW employment legislation could discourage farmers and landowners from taking on employees, say advisers.
Research by Salisbury-based solicitor Wilsons, among 200 professionals at its recent Agrilaw seminar, revealed the governments continued programme of reform to employment law headed the list of unpopular legislation.
During the past three months of 1999 a range of amendments were made to existing employment law.
These included the introduction of the Working Time Regulations, extended maternity and parental leave rights and an increase in the maximum limit for unfair dismissal claims, which now stands at £50,000. Greater protection for part-time and temporary workers is among the changes planned for 2000.
Nine out of ten respondents felt that recent and proposed changes would discourage farmers and landowners from taking on new recruits. And 80% argued that smaller employers should be excluded from much of the new employment legislation.
"It is doubly unfortunate that the increased legislative burden should impact upon farmers at a time when farm profits are falling," says Robert Swift, head of the farms and estates department at Wilsons. *