If you’re like us, then you’ll love productivity. It’s at the heart of any growing business, but what do your payroll team need in their locker to be working at their most efficient? Great UX Clunky software, difficult-to-navigate screens and don’t even get us started on buffering. Ultimately poor user experience is going to lead to sloppy payroll. We’re talking people not being paid on time, inaccuracies, and it could very well impact team retention. In fact, research from Workfront suggests that almost half of…
On the back of other significant cases, the Post Office's recent employment tribunal heralds a big change for the gig economy. As predicted, Uber's recent announcement to award their drivers with worker status after losing a five-year legal battle is having far-reaching consequences on the gig economy model. Now, the Post Office is at the centre of a tribunal which could shake up the employment rights of millions. 120 sub-postmasters, representing 8,500 of their colleagues across the UK, have taken the Post Office to an…
An Important Case on the Topic of Worker Status decided by the EAT in April 2021. A ruling has confirmed that drivers working for the private hire and cab and courier service, Addison Lee, should be classified as ‘workers’, and will subsequently be entitled to the rights that workers receive. This follows on from the outcome of a Supreme Court case in February 2021, which found that Uber workers should also be classed as workers. The latest decision means that Addison Lee may need to…
Findings from our survey of more than 700 people reveal almost a third (32%) would consider bunking off work this summer. The research shows the top reasons for bunking off include catching up with friends, going on holiday, spending time with the kids, and going to the pub for a sneaky pint! So, what would stop people bunking off? Interestingly, 19% of survey respondents said more relaxed managers that support the work-life balance. A further 19.5% of respondents said more job satisfaction would stop them…
We've seen the volume of employees paid by Faster Payments rise rapidly through the first months of 2021. Since November last year, we’ve almost doubled the number of monthly transactions. And in the same period, the monetary value of transactions has increased by almost 120%. What’s more, the overall number of Faster Payment transactions in the UK increased by 22% in March 2021, compared with March 2020. I’m keen to explain what Faster Payments are and the main benefits payroll teams see when using them.…
Everyone deserves to be paid fairly for the work they do, and minimum wage is in place to protect employees from exploitation. However, it wasn’t that long ago when huge names in retail, hospitality and entertainment failed to pay their employees basic minimum wage. So, what was their downfalls? And how can you as a business avoid the same mistakes? In 2017, the government named and shamed more than 350 big name employers who failed to pay some of their employees the national minimum and…
IR35: a thorn in the side of many in 2020/21. And with costly fines looming, it pays to get it right. If the thought of IR35 miscalculations and contracting is keeping you up at night, then we have some simple ways to sense check if you’re on the right track. Check who falls inside & outside of IR35 If you’re still worried about whether the new legislation will affect your contractor, you can use the GOV.UK checker. This allows your contractor to check their employment status. Remember, as the employer it is your responsibility to…
Timely, accurate payroll delivery is arguably one of the most fundamental parts of your business. Payroll has a key role to play in maintaining morale, productivity and trust. Issues small businesses may face with their payroll Unfortunately, in-house payroll functions are as reliable as the people doing the work. There's always a risk you may lose one of your key members of staff that do your payroll and they take all that knowledge with them. If this happens you could find it extremely difficult to…
How to keep employees engaged has always been a hot topic among HR professionals. But what if we were to tell you that a lot of businesses are doing it all wrong? Everyone knows by now that creating a happy workforce leads to more successful recruitment, retention, and productivity levels, which saves your business money. You hear of more and more of extravagant initiatives that employers are implementing to get their employees excited about working for them. From the humble Christmas party, to (paid) designated…
This case concerns the appropriate rate of pay for a worker when completing a ‘sleep-in’ shift and being on-call for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 (‘NMW’). The Facts Mrs Tomlinson-Blake was a care support worker employed by the Royal Mencap Society. In addition to her day care duties - for which she received a salary (salaried hours work), she did sleep-in shifts working specific hours receiving a flat rate allowance of £22.35 plus one hours pay of £6.70 (time work). She was…
