Labour Research August 2003

Features: Law matters

Equal pay

New time limits for presenting equal pay cases came into force last month. These make it clear that employees working under a series of contracts can take an equal pay claim relating to any period of employment either while still in work or up to six months after the end of the last contract. Workers who win claims will now have the right to claim damages for up to six years before the date on which they lodged their claim, rather than the two years set out in the legislation. These changes have been brought in to comply with rulings from the European Court of Justice.