Survey of 1400+ Employment Professionals Reveals Major Criticisms of UK Work Regulations

LONDON, March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• One in five HR professionals expect cost of tribunal claims to rise for employers, despite falling numbers
• 25.8% of HR professionals want to abolish TUPE regulations; 23.4% would axe the Agency Workers Regulations
• 33% of HR professionals anticipate the implementation of auto-enrolment for pensions will be 2012's biggest challenge

The extent of employers' dissatisfaction with UK employment law and regulation has been laid bare by a major survey of HR professionals.

The 'HR Professionals Survey 2012' found that almost a quarter would like to see the notoriously challenging TUPE regulations abolished, while a similar number said new agency worker rules should get the chop.

Daniel Barnett, barrister at Outer Temple Chambers, conducted the survey by questioning over 1,400 HR professionals from across all industries and company sizes.He believes that employers and HR professionals are concerned about the future and that reforms are focused only on saving the government on the cost of running services such as the employment tribunal.

"Despite claiming to be reducing the burden of employment regulation on businesses, this survey suggests that HR professionals and employers are far from satisfied. Their dislike for the TUPE regulations is unsurprising as it is probably the most complicated area of employment law; people often don't know what the correct answer in a dispute is until the tribunal tells them.

"The government is currently consulting on a reduction of the burden caused by TUPE but it is heavily constrained by the fact that most of the laws derive from Europe and can't be changed."

The HR Professionals Survey also researched market sentiment in relation to what HR people at the coal face expected to be their biggest challenges this year. At the head of the queue of concerns for 2012 was the introduction of pension auto-enrolment, with 33% of respondents choosing this as their number one gripe.

Barnett commented: "This demonstrates the climate HR managers are facing as regulation and legislation develops in the UK. The complexity and expense of pension auto-enrolment seems to have left employers confused and uncomfortable about what seems very much like another layer of red tape and bureaucracy."