Drop from 10% to 5% contribution |
| From 1st April 2019, the amount smaller firms contribute to training apprentices will drop from 10% to 5%. All levy paying organisations will be able to share 25% of their funds with their supply chain, which increases from 10%. For further information on apprenticeships or for assistance with recruitment please contact us now. |
The guidance has been updated to reflect the Immigration Order 2018, which provides that employers may establish a statutory excuse against liability for an illegal working civil penalty by conducting an online right to work check using the Home Office online right to work checking service. The guidance states that since 28 January 2019 employers have had the option to conduct either a manual right to work check, or an online right to work check in order to establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty in the event that an employee is found to be working illegally. The Home Office online right to work checking service sets out the information and/or the documentation the employer will need in order to access the service. In circumstances where an online check is not possible the employer should conduct a manual right to work check. There are three basic steps to conducting an online right to work check:
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The legal minimum hourly rates for workers will increase as follows from 1 April 2019 (to be applied to the employee’s next pay reference period after that date):
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The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has opened a consultation seeking views on proposals to extend the redundancy protection of new mothers from the date they notify their employer in writing of their pregnancy to six months after their return from maternity leave.The consultation document deals with the proposals to extend the time limit to bring an employment tribunal claim in pregnancy and maternity discrimination cases from three to six months. Although the consultation does not ask any questions relating to extending the tribunal time limit, it does state that the Government has committed to consult to explore the evidence for changing employment tribunal time limits for claims relating to discrimination, harassment and victimisation, including on grounds of pregnancy and maternity. Watch this space! |
| Iceland offered employees the chance to pay into a Christmas Club scheme, where they could put money aside over the course of the year towards Christmas expenses. £3.7 million of wages were saved this way. However, because the cash was deducted before it reached staff, it pushed some staff below the minimum wage threshold. Iceland are not the first business to be named and shamed for failing to pay the minimum wage. Wagamama, had the largest underpayment, which they blamed on rules regarding employees uniform. Debenhams was fined £63,000 for minimum wage breaches in 2017. If you have any questions about how benefits or schemes could affect the minimum wage then please contact us now. |