Ever been pleased to receive a gift card, then left it lying in a drawer, semi forgotten for months? A workplace benefits package is often a focus when we join an organisation, but like that Boots card from your aunt, it’s only a win-win for everyone if you can make the most of it. With rising costs, labour shortages, pressure on wages, rising Covid rates and political upheaval, it’s never been more critical for employers to leave no stone unturned in the quest to maximise…
Are you guilty of assuming older workers are less likely to be interested in training or even career progression? If so, you may need to re-think your assumptions. People are living longer, more healthy lives and expect to be able to continue to work for longer. Whilst around a third of people currently in work are between the ages of 50 and 64, with a further 1.2 million being over 65, there are still almost one million people over 50 who want to work but…
During what is being dubbed as ‘The Great Resignation’, many employers are having to recruit new members staff. But how sure are you that what you’re doing is legally compliant? We've listed these twelve common questions that employers often ask us when looking to take on on new employees. 1. Can I ask candidates to complete a medical questionnaire when applying for a vacancy, or question them about their health at an interview? Only when you make an offer of employment is it safe to…
Listening to customer feedback our product team have been working hard to make improvements to payroll processing in our software. They’re just selfless like that. So, what do new features in our payroll software look like and what value are they adding to you and your processes? Future dated salary changes At the top of what can only be described as a very long customer wish list was Future Dated Salary changes. It kinda does what it says on the tin. With the developments of…
Lockdown restrictions have ended and, despite the odd snow shower, spring is here. So employees who are on a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave will probably be relishing the chance to get out and about with the family and enjoy the sunshine. Unless they are nearly ready to return, they probably aren’t thinking too much about work. But actually, as anyone who has taken an extended break from work knows, it can be daunting to return and pick up the reins as…
At the 2005 general election New Labour promised to introduce a new Equality Act to simplify the existing body of legislation governing equality in the workplace and 'promote equality at work'. Following the Equalities Review in 2007 led by Trevor Philips (the head of the Commission for Racial Equality at the time), the Act was enacted in 2010 and replaced: Equal Pay Act 1970 Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Race Relations Act 1976 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 Employment Equality…
Across the world, people have been horrified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and by footage of Ukrainians, especially women and children, crossing the country’s borders. The latest figures suggest an exodus of around four million people from the country. For Europeans particularly, a war on the continent has been shocking and led to an outpouring of offers of help, aid and homes. Although the UK has so far issued only 26,000 visas to Ukrainians fleeing the war, the anticipation of the arrival of the…
The Chief Executive of P&O Ferries said he stands by his decision on the mass-redundancy over video call. In the wake of P&O Ferries' termination of some 800 employees jobs, there has been a lot of negative press coverage, government involvement and likely future claims from ‘sacked’ staff. Despite this, Peter Hebblethwaite, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, claimed that he would make the same decision again because it had saved the business. Hebblethwaite stated the reason for this was to save on staffing costs, as…
Some changes in National Insurance, the Employment Allowance, and income tax will significantly impact payroll professionals - as well as 70% of households in the UK. In the Spring Statement on 23 March 2022, Rishi Sunak announced that, among other things, workers will be able to keep more of their income before they start paying National Insurance from the beginning of July. Here's what the changes are and why the news is so significant to payroll professionals and employees. A quick summary of changes The…
Many organisations can face challenging times where employee reductions are inevitable, once all other options are exhausted. When it affects those on maternity leave, things can get complicated. We advise how to manage this effectively and sensitively, and how to avoid any potential discrimination claims. The introduction of the Equality Act 2010 meant that pregnancy and maternity became a protected characteristic – rather than having to raise claims under “sex discrimination”, which happened prior to 2010. This means that any woman who is treated differently…
