The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) says red tape day cost UK businesses an extra half-a-billion pounds.
According to the organisation's estimates, which are based on government projections, the cumulative impact on businesses of new grievance procedures, anti-discrimination policy updates and a minimum wage hike will be £525 million.
"For every burden business accepts, there should at least be a compensatory reduction. Business needs to be able to remain competitive in the global marketplace," said BCC director general David Frost.
The coordinated launch of employment policies is the result of the government's new system of common commencement dates, which are meant to make new regulations more obvious to small businesses.
The downside is the businesses are hit with a mind-boggling deluge of new regulations on two days a year (1 Oct and 6 April).
On Friday, businesses of all sizes came under the Disability Discrimination Act, forcing them to make "reasonable adjustments" to property and equipment to make it more accessible to people with impairments.
New grievance resolution processes also arrived under which bosses and employees must follow strict procedures before they take action against each other over a dispute.
The update is designed to reduce the number of people being arbitrarily fired and the number of employers being taken to employment tribunals. It hopes to reduce instances of racial, gender and age-based discrimination.
On top of these arrangements came an increase in the national minimum wage. The adult rate - for employees over 21 years of age - rose to £4.85, while the development rate - for 18 to 21 year-olds - hit £4.10.
A new 'youth rate' was also introduced, giving 16 and 17 year-olds the right to at least £3.00 an hour.
The BCC's annual 'burdens barometer' calculates that the cost to business of compliance with regulations introduced since 1998 was £30 billion. That was before the new rules were taken into consideration.
