All Tax and legislation articles – Page 25
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OpinionLauren Harkin: Employees’ health rights in high temperatures
With temperatures set to soar well over 30 degrees Celsius in parts of the UK this week, rumours often circulate about the rights of employees regarding the temperatures in which they can legally work. So, do employees have a right to stop working if a maximum temperature is exceeded?Somewhat surprisingly, ...
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OpinionSinead Cuthill and Emma Vennesson: Ethnicity pay gap reporting in the UK
In its Inclusive Britain policy paper, published on 17 March 2022, the government stated that it would not be mandating ethnicity pay gap reporting. One of the reasons for this is that it wanted to “avoid imposing new reporting burdens on businesses as they recover from the pandemic.”The government’s position ...
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OpinionStephen Morrall and Annabelle Woosnam: Pensions in the gig economy
An article published by the Financial Times on 14 June reported that the UK pensions regulator has conceded that not all gig economy employers have done 'the right thing' and offered pensions to staff. What does this mean?In recent years, vast numbers of people have entered the gig economy, working ...
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OpinionNeil Todd: Ineos case shows collective bargaining rights cannot be bypassed
Unite members’ victory at a recent employment appeal tribunal, which saw global chemical firm Ineos being ordered to compensate employees after they attempted to bypass agreed collective bargaining mechanisms, is a significant victory for the rights of trade union members.The decision strengthens the case law relating to what amounts to ...
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OpinionTom Moyes: What is the potential impact of the rail strikes on pay and benefits?
While the new plans proposed by Transport Minister Grant Shapps to reduce the impact of industrial action following recent strikes look great on the surface, there is the potential for a significant negative impact on full-time workers. Whether it is the impact on pay, pensions or further employee benefits, there ...
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OpinionTom Heys: Why employers need to think about ethnicity and gender pay gaps
Gender pay gap reporting has successfully increased focus on one aspect of diversity, with high levels of compliance. Although reporting will not be mandatory, the imminent arrival of government guidance on ethnicity pay gap reporting means that more employers will be taking a greater focus on ethnic diversity.But more complex ...
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OpinionRichard Kay: How will the four-day week trial impact workplaces?
This week, thousands of UK employees started the world’s biggest four-day working week trial. Over the next six months, employers and employees involved in the trial will embrace a 100:80:100 model of working, meaning staff will work 80% of the time for 100% of their salary.Understandably, the four-day week pilot ...
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ArticleMissguided ex-employees to sue for pay award following collapse
Image credit: Serhii Yevdokymov / Shutterstock.comLegal firm Aticus Law has called for ex-employees of online clothing retailer Missguided to join a class action claim seeking a protective pay award following the business' collapse.On 30 May, Teneo Financial Advisory was called in as administrator for the retailer, which was then followed ...
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OpinionHollie Ryan: What does the GMB and Deliveroo voluntary partnership agreement mean for its workers?
Earlier this month, Deliveroo announced that it had signed a union recognition deal with the union GMB, which covers more than 90,000 self-employed riders. The voluntary partnership agreement gives GMB the rights to collective bargaining on pay and consultation rights on benefits, health and safety and wellbeing, as well as ...
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OpinionAvril England: What comes next for staff in the event of a takeover?
Following the confirmation that sale terms have been agreed, all the staff will automatically transfer to the buyer under the provisions of the Transfers of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (Tupe).Tupe implements European laws designed to protect employees whose contracts of employment are in effect transferred to a ...
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OpinionVerity Ingle: How Covid-19 may impact employees’ health, wellbeing and pay
As the world starts to learn how to safely live with Covid-19 (Coronavirus), employers are faced with the difficult decision of how to handle employees who are suffering from Covid symptoms, and whether to ask them to remain at home or come into work.An issue with this at present is ...
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OpinionLouise Mason: Employment legislation still on horizon despite bill absence in Queen’s Speech
The Queen's Speech was delivered on 10 May and, as expected, there was no mention of the employment bill. The purpose of the Queen's Speech is to set the legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session so the absence of the bill suggests no employment legislation will be forthcoming for ...
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OpinionChris Thompson: The wait for employment reforms continues
The absence of any reference to reforming employment rights or the Employment Bill in the Queen’s Speech [on 10 May] has highlighted the amount of employment legislation that has been announced only to be later side lined.On more than one occasion when questions have been raised in Parliament about the ...
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OpinionLucy Lewis: Omission of employment bill from Queen’s Speech is no great surprise
Yesterday’s Queen’s Speech was reportedly the shortest for nearly 10 years. It was, as many commentators have pointed out, a little on the light side, with a number of key policies and priorities not making it in to the final version delivered by HRH the Prince of Wales.The long-anticipated employment ...
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OpinionAmanda Lennon: Could the HRT shortage lead to discrimination claims?
Employers should be flexible and support employees who are affected by menopause and perimenopause symptoms due to the shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication, or they could risk facing discrimination claims.A surge in demand for HRT treatment has left pharmaceutical manufacturers struggling to keep up. Many women are finding ...
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OpinionAnita North: Delay to Employment Bill is a blow to thousands of workers
In 2019, the Conservative Party stated in its election manifesto that it would “encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers had good reasons not to.” This came after public anger in relation to poor working conditions in UK factories and warehouses.These changes were wrapped up ...
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OpinionCharlotte Clewes?Boyne: The consultation on the draft pensions dashboard regulations
The pensions dashboards project, spearheaded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is gaining pace, designed to give people more control over their pensions. The cost of building the central infrastructure will be borne by the government, but there will also be a cost to employers. It is worth ...
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OpinionAndrea London: Attitude change needed to address ageism at work
With hybrid working models quickly becoming 'the norm' and the constant requirement instead for online productivity, virtual working and remote meetings or presentations, is our older generation cognisant of technological advances, and are they able to keep up?We seem to be noting an increased polarisation of the labour market in ...
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OpinionSusie Al-Qassab: Employers can take steps to eliminate gender inequality in the workplace
When the UK government commissioned the workplace and gender equality research in order to review whether policies in the workplace were family friendly and in support of the progression of women, it was identified that the main barriers were tensions between working and caring for a family, negativity surrounding and ...
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OpinionLee McIntyre-Hamilton: How the Spring Statement 2022 will affect employers and employees
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement has been met with much criticism since it was delivered on 23 March, not least from employers.Those who were hoping for a delay to the national insurance contributions (NIC) increases will have been disappointed, as the rise of 1.25% from 6 April is going ahead. While ...