Opinion
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Opinion
James Townsend and Elizabeth Coyle: Dealing with equal pay tribunals
On 22 August 2024, an employment tribunal held that Next discriminated against more than 3,500 female store staff by paying them lower hourly wages than male warehouse operatives. Sales consultants received lower pay of up to £3 per hour, meaning their average annual salary differential was more ...
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Opinion
Ann Frances Cooney: Potential impact of the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill
The draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill was announced in the King’s Speech in July. The new Labour government confirmed that the draft bill delivers its manifesto commitments to enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people, and to introduce ...
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Opinion
Gail Irvine: How can employers encourage staff to save money?
UK Savings Week (9-15 September 2024) is a timely reminder of the financial challenges workers face when it comes to saving. The cost-of-living crisis has made it harder than ever before to set money aside, hitting the UK’s 3.7 million low-paid workers the hardest. For those on the lowest pay, ...
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Opinion
Ant Donaldson: How can employers encourage staff to save money?
“May you live in interesting times” may be a clumsy rendering of the Chinese proverb, “It’s better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period”, but it has certainly been relevant in recent years, through the pandemic, soaring inflation, ...
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Opinion
Jennifer Roberts: How can employers encourage staff to save money?
At Central Co-op, we recognise that helping our employees with their financial wellbeing is an essential part of our staff wellbeing programme, called ‘We’ve got you’. Encouraging employees to save begins with creating a culture that prioritises financial health. At Central Co-op, we leverage our Difference Maker ...
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Opinion
Richard Branson: Prepare for proposed increases to national minimum wage
In April 2024, the previous Conservative government increased the national minimum wage (NMW) for people over the age of 23 from £10.42 per hour to £11.44, a rise of 9.8%. The NMW rate for 21 and 22-year-olds also moved to £11.44 per hour from its previous rate of £10.18, representing ...
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Opinion
Patrick Glencross: Reforms to employee holiday rights
Calculating annual leave and holiday pay for employees can be challenging, particularly for those who work irregular hours. The government has this year introduced significant changes to simplify the rules on holiday rights as part of its reforms to a range of employment rights that have developed from years of ...
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Opinion
Nick Hurley and Annie Green: The impact of dropping the real living wage pledge
Earlier this year, Brewdog announced that due to trading losses and financial instability, it will drop its real living wage pledge from April onwards. While many employers will have suffered similar financial difficulties as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, the business’ decision to pull out of the real living ...
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Opinion
Lee McIntyre-Hamilton: Changes to national insurance and the impact on employment
The new year has already brought some welcome news for employees, with the cut in employee national insurance contributions (NICs) from 12% to 10%. As of 6 January 2024, the cut means that all employees who currently pay NIC will benefit.The extent of the savings will depend on an employee’s ...
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Opinion
Rhiannon Barnsley: Automatic-enrolment act is no cure for the epidemic of under-saving
The Royal Assent of the Pensions (Extension of Automatic-Enrolment) Act marks a significant development in the UK pension landscape. There are notable changes that could shape the retirement savings framework for certain employers and employees, but more needs to be done to fix the consistent under-saving for retirement that is ...
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Opinion
Colin Godfrey: Supreme Court ruling on unlawful wages deduction from unpaid or underpaid holiday pay
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in the important case of Chief Constable of Northern Ireland v Agnew. In a judgment that will be welcomed, the Supreme Court has determined that, in a claim by an employee for an unlawful deduction of wages arising from unpaid ...
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Opinion
Lovewell's logic: Is the UK failing on pay despite high minimum rates?
The UK now has some of the highest minimum pay rates in the world, according to a report published by think-tank The Resolution Foundation this week. Its Low pay Britain 2023 report found that, among the world’s rich nations, only France, Korea and New Zealand currently have higher minimum wages, ...
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Opinion
Danielle Ayres: The changing face of flexible working
The number of people working flexibly has increased drastically since the pandemic; however, as we move on from that, it seems more employers are asking staff to return to workplaces on a regular basis.Many employees have become reliant on not having to travel into work, or deal with the costs ...
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Opinion
Joanne Frew: The impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
The political landscape has been incredibly unsettled, with three prime ministers in the space of two months. With Rishi Sunak now appointed and warning that the UK faces a profound economic challenge, it will be interesting to see what impact the new government may have on the labour market.All European ...
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Opinion
Lovewell's logic: Will staff look to employers for support on rising mortgage rates?
A week on from the government’s Mini Budget, and many individuals and employers are still working through the ramifications and exactly what it means for them.The challenges many households are currently facing due to the cost-of-living crisis are well documented. However, with interest rates now expected to rise following the ...
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Opinion
Lovewell's logic: Will the cost of living impact working arrangements?
Could the rising cost of living soon influence employees’ attitudes to hybrid working?Over the past few years, hybrid working has increasingly become the norm for millions of employees, with many keen to continue working from home for at least part of the week. In many cases, where employers have stipulated ...
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Opinion
Alison Watson: What employers can do to support staff buying their first home?
Current environmental and economic issues are causing many to struggle with paying bills, and this is coming at a time when more and more young people are struggling to get a foot on the property ladder due to increasing property prices and below-inflation pay rises.The government has recently revealed plans ...
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Opinion
Richard Kay: Benefits for first-time buyers can also benefit employers
Rising property prices are not only proving problematic for first-time buyers, they can also cause a headache for employers struggling to attract and retain talent. As it gets harder for professionals to afford to get a foot on the property ladder, they are looking to maximise their earnings to make ...
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Opinion
Lovewell's logic: How far should employers support staff with the rising cost of living?
The rising cost of living has dominated headlines over the past few months, with many households now facing increasingly bleak and difficult circumstances. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 87% of UK adults reported a rise in their cost of living in April 2022. As a result, many ...
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Opinion
Katherine Chapman: As costs rise, how can pay strategies help employees make ends meet?
We are living in unprecedented times, with inflation at a record high and spiralling energy and food bills. The worst income squeeze on record lies before us and no one will feel it more sharply than the nearly five million people in low-paid and insecure jobs, already struggling to meet ...