UK government announces pay rise for millions of people
The national minimum wage is set to increase from 6 April 2021 raising the minimum salary of those aged 23 or over to GBP 8.91 per hour.
8 December 2020
Employers can play Santa, but must consider “trivial benefits” tax implications
This year we plan to hold our party remotely and are going to order food and drink for the team. This can be quite tax efficient, as HMRC allows employers to spend £150 per annum, including the VAT, per attendee at an annual function without the employee incurring a tax bill on the benefit received. Please note that this is a benefit rather than an allowance and if the £150 is exceeded then the whole amount becomes taxable.
7 December 2020
Can employers require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19?
The search for a successful and safe vaccine has given everyone hope that the misery and disruption caused by COVID-19 will soon be at an end. For employers in particular, the anticipation of a return to normality brings with it questions around the rights of employers to enforce mandatory vaccination and the basis upon which employees can object.
7 December 2020
Employee relations is key to change management
With the furlough scheme initially coming to an end in October, a lot of organisations are now also realising that they will unfortunately have to make changes to their teams, which could include changes to job roles, structure and perhaps even redundancies after this time period. So how do organisations who are considering re-structuring or reducing their workforce approach this correctly and fairly?
4 December 2020
Employment law post Brexit – what can we expect?
All EU-derived employment law and directly effective EU employment legislation has continued to apply to the UK during the implementation period, and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has continued to have jurisdiction in the UK, but this all comes to an end in less than 30 days, after the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.
4 December 2020
25 years of the Disability Discrimination Act: Tackling discrimination in the workplace and beyond
November 2020 marks the twenty fifth anniversary of disability rights legislation in the U.K. It is a time to reflect on the fight for rights by disabled campaigners and others that finally resulted in the ground-breaking and much needed legislation. But what has been achieved and what next when it comes to tackling discrimination in the workplace and beyond?
18 November 2020
Updated guidance on the extended furlough scheme – more questions than answers
On 10 November HMRC published its updated guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Eagerly awaited by employment lawyers – who hoped it would answer all our questions on how the extended scheme will work – it sadly raises yet more queries and fails to provide the certainty that employers so badly need right now in order to plan for the future.
17 November 2020
Disabled workers earning a fifth less than non-disabled peers
New analysis published by the TUC shows that disabled workers now earn a fifth (20%) less than non-disabled workers. The analysis found that the pay gap for disabled workers has widened to £3,800 per year – an increase of £800 over the last year for someone working a 35 hour week.
13 November 2020
41% of Whistleblowers’ Covid concerns – including public safety disclosures – ignored by employers
Research by Protect has found that 41% of employees with Covid-19 concerns were ignored by their employers and 20% of whistleblowers were dismissed for raising concerns.
12 November 2020
Furlough scheme extended and Job Support Scheme postponed
The Government has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will now remain open until the end of March 2021, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500.
11 November 2020