The details of the Flexible Working Bill read 30 June 2021, by Labour MP Tulip Siddiq. Currently, employees must have worked for their employer for a minimum of 26 weeks to be eligible to make a flexible working request. Recently, Labour MP, Tulip Siddiq, read a Flexible Working Bill in the House of Commons, which would mean that all staff would be entitled to flexible working from day one of employment. She called for employers to offer flexible working arrangements in employment contracts and advertise…
Adopting remote means of communicating with employees through Microsoft Teams, Zoom and telephone conference calls has become commonplace since the beginning of lockdown. Having put in place the 'digital infrastructure' to ensure remote working is possible, can these businesses now use the same tools to hire offshore employees? And if yes, what impact, if any, would this have on the British labour market? 'Anywhere jobs' A report by the Tony Blair Institute claimed that approximately six million 'white-collar' jobs are at risk of being lost…
It often worries me when organisations contact us to discuss their need for a diversity and inclusion policy. What’s not inclusive about their organisation today and why do they feel they need a policy? Are employees purposely not including people and if so, why? Surely inclusion is part of normal, everyday adult life? Let's look at the legislation that underpins all of this, as well as how to improve workplace culture, recruitment practices, and other procedures. The legislation Firstly, to underpin the requirement for such…
Please note, legislation has been updated in regards to holiday calculations since this article was written, effective for holiday years starting on or after 1 April 2024, so some of the content below may be out-of-date. If you're a Moorepay client, please contact us if you need guidance. Otherwise, please see this article on the changes for more information. Calculating holiday entitlement for workers with regular hours is relatively straight-forward. But what happens when you have employees who work different hours every day, week, or…
We surveyed 1200 people last month and found 39% of respondents are looking forward to ‘nothing’ as we return to the workplace. When asked what employers could do to support employee mental health this year, 42% of people said: ‘allowing flexible working hours’, compared to 19% who said: ‘homeworking’. So, whilst nearly 1 in 5 employees want to keep working from home as lockdown lifts, more than 2 in 5 are after flexible start and finish times, presumably to fit around personal commitments. Employers might…
Employment tribunals require time, effort, often cost money, and can hurt your reputation as a business. Check out the top five reasons for tribunal and how you as a business can avoid common pitfalls. Hybrid working policies Hybrid working is the latest buzzword for organisations emerging from the pandemic, but what we don’t talk about is that it can unwittingly lead to discrimination and therefore, the risk of employment tribunal. It is argued that hybrid working policies risk creating a level of exclusion in teams.…
In a world where working models are changing and there is a growing backlog of employment tribunals, it’s important to look to your HR department as a safety net, not as a cause for concern. Here's how to avoid business fines when it comes to your HR processes. Carefully consider risk assessments Due to the pandemic, HR staff and departments have been expected to carry out more risk assessments than ever before. If an issue comes up when conducting these risk assessments, businesses must carefully…
Does the thought of a whopping great fine break you out in a sweat? Nothing will hurt your bottom line more than a payroll fine. But luckily, they can be avoided all together. Check out our top tips for keeping your payroll compliant and avoiding additional charges. According to HMRC, ‘careless behaviour’ has amounted to more than £59m in UK business fines in just one year. Ouch… It’s pretty serious stuff. UK income tax penalties cover a wide range of different penalties, but for starters you’ll need to be aware of three areas: Failure…
With reports, end of tax years, P11Ds and more it's a bit of a minefield out there. And dare to let them slip your mind? Hefty fines await you! So we’ve provided the breakdown of the reports that need to be submitted to HMRC. The basics With every FPS and EPS you will need to submit employer information so that HMRC can identify you and your business. This includes: HMRC office number Employer PAYE reference Accounts Office reference Related tax year Where applicable, information may include: Employer’s Contracted Out…
There have been many mixed reports on the baby boom - or baby bust - situation in the UK. Naturally, as Covid-19 has shaken up people's personal lives and careers since the start of 2020, the environment for growing a family has changed dramatically. At the start of the pandemic, the UK saw a sharp drop in pregnancy and birth rates. Unsurprisingly, economic instability, job losses, and health concerns made many people reconsider their plans to have a child. One survey in April 2020 found…
