Laws in the United Kingdom have gone through many transformations since the early 18th-Century (Collins et al. 2012). For example, the transformation in the scope and content of business law has made it possible for both the employees and the employers to benefit from legal protection (Davies 2009). There are two other areas of legislation that affect business apart from acts of parliament. They are the Competition Law and Consumer Protection. The three areas of legislation work together in ensuring that consumers, sellers, employers and employees are comfortable in their roles.
The Employment Law encompasses many acts of parliament. All of them aim at protecting both the employees and their employers from exploitation. This paper analyses two examples of such laws: the Employment Act 2002 and the Employment Rights Act 1996. On the other hand, Competition Law helps ensure fairness in the competition among companies that produce similar goods. The UK government designed measures that ensure fairness in all businesses. On its part, Consumer Protection ensures that entrepreneurs are fair to the consumers in all their dealings.
Employment Law
The Employment Act of 2002 aims at addressing dismissal grievances and employers’ inability to terminate their employees due to legal restrictions (Bercusson 1996). In addition, it provides a constitutional framework for the settlement of disputes that occur among the employees or between them and their employers. Furthermore, it helps determine the amount of money employers need to pay their employees before they go on leave. Precisely, it requires employers to give each employee a six-month paid paternity or maternity leave and six more months of unpaid leave (Collins et al. 2012). These laws apply to both biological and adoptive parents.
On the other hand, the Employment Rights Act 1996 enlightens employees about their rights (Collins et al. 2012). It requires employers to write down all the terms and conditions for their jobs. Such terms include the number of working hours and the amount of money the employees will earn (Esping-Andersen & Regini 2000). The statement of terms helps the employees understand their rights, which helps them operate within the requirements of the contract. Understanding the terms also helps them know when they violet the contract (Esping-Andersen & Regini 2000). Therefore, both parties know when to sue their counterparts for breaching their contracts.
Another important act under the Employment Rights Act is the Dismissal Notice and Reasons Act. This act requires employers to give a notice to the employees before dismissing them (Davies 2009). It stipulates the duration needed for the notices to become effective. Usually, the duration depends on the number of years the employees have worked in the organization. The act also allows employers to compensate the employees in case of dismissal without notices.
The article on Redundancy Payment is also crucial to both the employees and the employers (Davies 2009). It requires employers to compensate their employees in case their jobs become obsolete (Davies 2009). At the same time, it protects employers from selfish employees who might want to get the money even when they are not eligible. According to this act, employees who have reached the retirement age and those who have worked in the company for less than two years are not eligible for redundancy payments (Davies 2009).
Consumer Protection
Consumer protection aims at protecting consumers facing financial crises due to exploitation (Davies 2009). The main areas of legislation under consumer protection are the Sales and Supply of Goods Act, the Trade Description Act and the Consumer Credit Act. These acts ensure that consumers get goods that are similar to the ones the sellers describe when advertising them. They also ensure that their quality is satisfactory (Davies 2009). The Consumer Credit Act protects consumers from exploitation being exploited by their creditors. It also ensures that businesses comply with the laws by imposing additional costs on them (Davies 2009).
Competition Law
The Competition Law ensures that all business competitions are healthy and legal (Esping-Andersen & Regini 2000). The main reason for the formulation of this law was the belief that competition ensures that the quality of goods on the market is good, and their prices are affordable (Esping-Andersen & Regini 2000). The government formed the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading to ensure that no company owns 25% of the market shares (Esping-Andersen & Regini 2000). These institutions also ensure that no business deliberately sets its prices beyond the accepted prices (Davies 2009).
In summary, this paper has analysed the Employment Law, the Competition Law and Consumer Protection and how they impact the operations of the employers, sellers, consumers and employees. These laws work together in ensuring that consumers and employees get goods, services and salaries that satisfy them. They also protect employers and entrepreneurs from unfair competition and mistreatment by their employees. It is imperative from the discussion that legislation in the UK has evolved to represent the desires of all the stakeholders in business and marginalised members of the community.
Reference List
Bercusson, B 1996, European labour law, Butterworths, London.
Collins, H, Ewing, K & McColgan, A 2012, Labour law. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Craig, J & Lynk, M 2006, Globalization and the future of labour law, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Davies, A 2009, Perspectives on labour law. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Esping-Andersen, G & Regini, M 2000, Why deregulate labour markets?, Oxford University Press, Oxford.