EMPLOYERS must keep up to date with ever-changing employee rights and responsibilities, a partner at a North-East law firm has warned.

Nick Poole, of Darlington-based Latimer Hinks, said the complexity of today's legislation is leaving many bosses struggling to know what they can and cannot say to their employees, or how to act with them.

Employment Tribunal statistics, published in July, show an increase of 15 per cent in the number of cases brought to a tribunal between April last year and March, compared to the same period the previous year.

During those 12 months, there were 238,546 jurisdictions, of which 972 cases were brought under the age discrimination legislation, which came into force in October last year.

Some 44,000 cases related to equal pay and unfair dismissal.

Research has shown that up to 70 per cent of UK employers feel that the balance of power has been shifted too far in favour of employees.

However, Mr Poole said few people would want to see a return to the days of sexist or homophobic bosses, such as DCI Gene Hunt, in the BBC series Life on Mars.

"Over the past three decades, we have seen an amazing amount of legislation introduced, designed to give protection to employees.

"In the Seventies, several Acts of Parliament introduced new and complex legislation in areas such as equal pay, sex discrimination, race discrimination and health and safety.

"Since then, there have been even further extensions to UK employment law, particularly brought about by our membership of the European Union, which required changes to UK employment law.

"Changes have included areas such as the transfer of undertakings, disability discrimination, national minimum wage and working time regulations.

"On October 1 last year, age discrimination legislation was introduced into UK employment law for the first time.

"I don't think any of us would want to see a return to the likes of Gene Hunt running our businesses.

"However, there is no doubt that employment law is a minefield and bosses must keep up to date and be aware of their responsibilities and the rights their employees have."