Inbrief

Legislation requiring UK companies to involve their staff in decision-making came into force last month. The new rules, which implement a European Union directive, initially apply to companies with more than 150 employees, who now have to be consulted on matters that affect them at work, ranging from the financial condition of the business to restructuring that is likely to cause redundancies. The legislation moves the UK closer to other European states, most of which require workforce consultation, although the UK does not require companies to work through elected union representatives, as do some other EU member states.