The off-payroll working (IR35) rules in the private sector are changing on 6 April 2021. HMRC recognises that businesses are facing challenges due to COVID-19 and are therefore providing lots of information and support to ensure businesses have plenty of time to prepare for the changes coming into effect. Have you started planning for this change in legislation? If you haven’t, we urge you to start now. Not sure where to begin? Fear not. This blog will give you an overview of what’s changing and…
There are various challenges to overcome when managing annual leave over Christmas - whether your annual leave year runs from January to December, or April to March, or some other 12-month period! Christmas often means an influx of annual leave requests and the headache of coordinating the Christmas rota in 2021, of course, is no exception. With this in mind, here's some helpful guidance to help you prepare for the 2021 festive season. Can an employer insist that an employee takes annual leave at a…
The Domestic Abuse Helpline has reported a concerning increase in the number of calls and online requests for help since the lockdown began in March 2020. It’s predicted that for every three months the lockdown continues, an additional 15 million cases of gender-based violence are expected. With more people than ever working from home due to COVID-19, time apart or an escape route away from an abuser may now be a distant hope for some employees. As an employer, you have a responsibility for the…
As the UK enters the seventh month of lockdown, the quality of people’s mental health is deteriorating at a concerning rate. More than two thirds (69%) of adults are reportedly feeling worried about the effect the virus is having on their life. According to a survey by the Samaritans, just over 1 in 10 callers reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm during the first week of lockdown. It is perhaps not surprising that such a dramatic change to the way we live has…
An important sex discrimination case, and victory for the LGBT community, was decided by the Employment Appeal Tribunal on 21 September 2020. Does protection under the Equality Act for those going through gender reassignment extend to those who identify as gender-fluid or non-binary? Yes, stated the Employment Tribunal in this case. The Government Equalities Office Guide defines the term ‘non-binary’ to describe someone who does not subscribe to the customary binary approach to gender, and who may regard themselves as neither male nor female, or…
After more than six months of life in lockdown, there's clear evidence our new way of working may be extended for at least another six months. This year's shift to working from home is beginning to look much more permanent. As a result, the focus of employers has now shifted from the basics of setting employees up remotely, to supporting this longer term transition from office to home. As we well know, motivation and communication are key to employees feeling part of a team. So,…
An important case on the topic of the unlawful deduction of wages was decided by the Employment Law Tribunal on 3 September 2020. Recent Development in National Minimum Wage – Ms E Harris and 8 others v Kaamil Education, Diligent Care Services and Premier Carewaiting. A group of home care providers have been ordered to pay more than £100,000 in backdated earnings to home care staff. Back in 2016, the Public-service union, Unison, started a legal battle against profiteering private care providers’ practice of paying…
Moorepay's parent company Zellis was awarded software product of the year by the CIPP during their Annual Excellence Awards. Judged by an independent panel, this prestigious award is given to software that enables companies to run their payroll in-house. Judges were looking for a solution that was compliant, user friendly, enabled best practice and was well supported. Also competing for the award was ADP, Intelligo, IRIS, MHR, Neeyamo, Payslip, SSCL and Xero. However, the award was given to Zellis for its innovations in software, including the…
There's no doubt that striking the right balance between work and home life is a very important aspect of modern life. Employees today want more flexibility in the way that they work to enable them to juggle competing life demands. However, flexible working doesn’t necessarily suit every business and in some circumstances, it may not be possible to agree to a request to work flexibly. Can I refuse a flexible working request? Employers have a legal obligation to deal with requests in a reasonable manner. As…
How has lockdown changed people’s attitudes to flexible and home working? Over 13 million people across the UK plan to ask to modify their long-term working pattern, according to new research by Direct Life Line. HR managers will have to be prepared for the influx of new requests once the current COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. What Do Employees Want? With half (49%) of the workforce experiencing the benefits of working from home first-hand,2 it’s no wonder that 44% of employees are hoping that flexible…
