by Emma | Mar 1, 2024 | Newsletter
Minimum Wage Increase Reminder
Don’t forget that the national minimum wage increases from 1st April. Please ensure that you have made changes to your payroll and sent any relevant paperwork out to staff.
Statutory Rates Increases
Proposed rates from April 2024 are above, watch this space for confirmed rates. Again please ensure your payroll/ accounts department are aware of these changes and apply.
Mothers Day – 10th March
Parents make up a huge amount of the UK workforce, but parental support from employers is still largely falling short. According to a survey 92% of fathers are employed in the UK against 75% of mothers.
98% of women want to come back to work after maternity leave but only 13% think it’s viable on a full-time basis. Maternity leave also impacts career progression, there was a 32% reduction in managerial roles after women have children and a 44% increase in admin roles, with many women stating that it’s easier to find flexible work at a junior level.
With flexibility legislation changing in April 2024, this may assist women returning from maternity leave.
Do you need a new Flexible Working Policy? give me a call now.
Do you need advice on handling a flexible working request? please contact me to ensure you are dealing with requests in the correct way.
by Emma | Feb 1, 2024 | Newsletter
If you are looking to make redundancies, you need to be aware of the new legislation coming into force on the 6th April 2024. The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 expands the current laws protecting pregnant employees or those on, or returning from, maternity/adoption/shared parental leave facing redundancy.
Currently, employees on maternity/adoption/shared parental leave have enhanced protections in redundancy situations, including the right to be offered a suitable alternative vacancy over other employees at risk, if one is available.
The Act expands this protection to include pregnant employees, from the moment they notify their employer of their pregnancy, through to 18 months after childbirth
Another act coming into force on the 6th April 2024 is The Carers’ Leave Act 2023. This Act will grant a new entitlement of one week unpaid leave annually for employees who care for dependants with long term needs. This right to leave will be available to all employees from day one of employment. “Long term needs” is defined as:
- Anyone with a condition that meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010;
- Illness or injury (physical or mental) that requires or is likely to require care for more than three months, or;
- Old age
Changes to Flexible working also come into force on the 6th April 2024. Employees will have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment (rather than after 26 weeks which is the position currently).
Employees will also be able to make two requests in any 12-month period, up from one. Employees will no longer have to explain the effect of the change requested, as they do currently, and employers will have to make a decision on a request within two months (rather than three)
As it’s Valentines Day this month, I thought it would be worth discussing work place romance!
Apparently workplace romance is on the rise and this is no surprise as it’s the main way we meet someone new. How many people have you met through work that has turned into a romantic relationship? I am sure we all have, I certainly have.
As an employer how do you manage this though?
You cannot ban relationships and stick your head in the sand about them. Having a policy in place to deal with relationships is the best way to tackle potential issues, having open communication is key to safeguard your business.
Please contact me if you would like to put a policy in place.
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
– Employers will have to keep “adequate” records to demonstrate compliance with their obligations under the WTR in relation to the 48-hour week, 8-hour limit on night work etc. The regulations make it clear that there is no need to record a worker’s daily working hours if the employer is able to demonstrate compliance without doing so.
– The introduction of rolled-up holiday pay.
– Leave for part year and irregular hours workers will, from 1 January 2024, accrue at the rate of 12.07% of hours worked and will be paid at the rate of 12.07% of pay in a pay period.
Where the amount of annual leave that has accrued includes a fraction of an hour, the fraction is to be treated as zero if it’s less than 30 minutes and one hour if it’s 30 minutes or more.
A 52-week reference period is to be used for calculating accrual of annual leave.
– The elements of remuneration that should be included in calculations of a week’s pay for holiday pay purposes will remain the same so employers can continue with their current payroll systems.
– There will be a right to carry over annual leave in situations including sickness, a failure to recognise employment status, failing to afford the right to paid annual leave, and as a result of being unable to exercise the right as a result of statutory leave.
– 31 March 2024 is the backstop for the carry over of leave under the Covid 19 provisions.
and
– Small businesses (with fewer than 50 employees) will be able to inform and consult directly with employees in respect of TUPE, and this flexibility will be extended to all businesses where a small transfer of fewer than 10 employees is proposed.
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
You may have caught the news in December about Deliveroo’s trade union decision. If not here’s the update:
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain’s decision that the reference to the right of “everyone…to form and to join trade unions” is limited to those who have an “employment relationship” with their employer.
Therefore, Deliveroo’s riders were not covered by the right to form and join a trade union because there was no employment relationship between them.
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
An employment tribunal has held in a preliminary hearing that the claimant was a disabled person within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. The claimant argued that her work-related stress amounted to a disability.
The judge concluded that there was no requirement for there to be a formal diagnosis of a mental illness in order for the Tribunal to be satisfied that there is a mental impairment causing a substantial adverse effect on a claimant’s ability to do day to day activities.
Employers be aware – employees may be more likely to allege that their work-related stress is a disability without any formal diagnosis of mental illness.
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
Possible changes to Fit Notes:
The government has committed to reforming the fit note process so that increased numbers of people can return to work after a period of ill health. There will be a consultation this year on wider reforms to fit notes.
Occupational health:
I am a big believer that Occupational health plays a massive part with all things “human”.
The government are set to establish an expert group to advise on a new voluntary Occupational Health framework which will set out the minimum level of intervention needed to improve employee health at work. It will also work with employers and business representatives to promote best practice in relation to employee ill health and disabilities.
Although the government are not going to make occupational health mandatory for business, I for one would support this as it is a great resource.
Watch this space…
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
From April 24 the following National Minimum Wage will apply:
The National Living Wage (NLW) – £11.44
The 18 to 20-year old rate – £8.60
The 16 to 17-year old rate and apprentice rate – £6.40
From 1 April 2024, the NLW will be extended from workers aged 23 and over to those aged 21 and 22, who have previously been paid a lower rate.
Please ensure you make preparations and get your payroll’s sorted in time!
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
The Paternity Leave Amendment Regulations 2024, which will apply in all cases where the expected week of childbirth falls on or after 6 April 2024, will allow paternity leave to be split into two blocks of one week at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child.
Currently fathers or partners can only take one continuous block of paternity leave of one or two weeks, and this must be taken within the first eight weeks after birth.
The notice period required for each period of leave will be shortened to 28 days, or four weeks. Under the current legislation, employees must give notice that they intend to take leave 15 weeks prior to the expected week of childbirth.
Although the regulations will apply for parents of children born or adopted on or after 6 April 2024, the regulations will come into force on 8 March.
Please contact me for a new policy!
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
The Employment Tribunal Appeal has found that the tribunal had been wrong to find that a claimant’s resignation in the heat of the moment during an altercation with his manager was really intended.
The claimant brought a claim for unfair and wrongful dismissal and argued that his case fell within a “special circumstances exception” (in the heat of the moment).
A resignation must be “seriously meant” or “really intended” or “conscious and rational”.
If you have a resignation, which is later retracted and you want to know where you stand, give me a call.
by Emma | Jan 21, 2024 | Newsletter
The civil penalties for employers employing workers illegally are due to triple!
From 22nd January 2024, the current civil penalty for employers who employ an individual without the appropriate immigration permission in the UK will rise from £15,000 per illegal worker for a first breach, to £45,000.
The current maximum of £20,000 per illegal worker for repeat breaches will rise to £60,000 per illegal worker.
Provided that a proper check has been carried out the employer will have a statutory excuse against a civil penalty if an employee is subsequently found to be illegally working in the UK.
