by Emma | Dec 5, 2017 | Newsletter
For those businesses that close over the Christmas period, employers will need to put in place arrangements requiring employees to take annual leave at that time.
Provided that there is no agreement to the contrary, employers can allocate leave to a particular time.
An employer needs to give notice that is at least double the period of leave that the employee is required to take although, in practice, employers should build the requirement into their annual leave policy.
For advise on writing a full Annual Leave Policy, please contact me.
by Emma | Dec 4, 2017 | Newsletter
Employers had a legal obligation, to ensure workers received 24 hours uninterrupted rest time away from work each week, within each 7 day period that they worked or 48 hours within each 14 day period worked (Working Time Regulations 1998). This was subject to certain exemptions. However, the European Court of Justice have now ruled that there was no requirement for an employer to provide a worker with weekly rest directly after every 6 consecutive days of work.
What this means now is within a 14 day reference period a worker can now be asked to work 12 consecutive days. That is provided they are given a weekly rest break of 24 hours at the beginning and the end of that 14 day period.
by Emma | Nov 29, 2017 | Newsletter
The Pensions Regulator, plan to prosecute a bus company, for wilfully failing to comply with their legal obligations under automatic enrolment. It is alleged that Stotts Tours (Oldham) Limited, deliberately failed to enrol its 36 staff into a pension scheme. This is the first time they have decided to prosecute for a failure of this nature but we doubt it will be the last time.
What happens when an employee goes on Maternity Leave? Guidance from the Pension Advisory Service provides that if employers’ paid contributions into an employee’s pension scheme before they began their maternity leave; the employer will still be required to continue making payments. However, the length of time that the employer will make these payments may vary, based on the employment contract terms and the type of pension scheme held by the employee.
Even where an employee does not qualify for maternity pay, there are still circumstances where the employer may be required to make pension contributions:
- during the period of Ordinary Maternity Leave (the first 26 weeks of the maternity leave),
- if the contract of employment makes provision for the payments to be made during periods of unpaid leave.
by Emma | Nov 26, 2017 | Newsletter
With the implementation of the new data protection rules on 25 May 2018, small businesses are likely to see an increase in the £35 data protection fee currently paid to the ICO.
A decision is expected before 1 April 2018.
by Emma | Nov 26, 2017 | Newsletter
The living wage for over 25s – will be set at £7.83 per hour from next April. This is higher than the current £7.50 national living wage and is expected to deliver a wage increase for two million people.
21- to 24-year-olds will see the minimum wage increased from £7.38 per hour from the current £7.05 rate.
18- to 20-year-olds will receive a 30p boost to £5.90 per hour.
16- and 17-year-olds will receive a 15p boost to £4.20 per hour.
The minimum wage for apprentices will increase by 20p to £3.70 per hour.
by Emma | Nov 15, 2017 | Newsletter
The Criminal Finances Act came into force on 30th September 2017.
Under the Act, businesses could be criminally liable for the actions of employees who assist tax evasion by others acting in the capacity of an associated person, for example agents, contractors and sub-contractors.
For further reading please click on the below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/560120/Tackling_tax_evasion_-_Draft_government_guidance_for_the_corporate_offence_of_failure_to_prevent_the_criminal_facilitation_of_tax_evasion.pdf
