All Tax and legislation articles – Page 26
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OpinionRosalind Connor: What the British Airways pensions case means for trustees and employers
The decision in the case of British Airways vs Airways Pension Scheme Trustee was handed down on 19 May 2017. The case, as the judge remarked, has been a lengthy one, and the appeal underway means that the case may well run for many more years. The case is the ...
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ArticlePoll: 15% are examining the General Data Protection Regulation’s impact on benefits
Employee Benefits poll: Less than one-fifth (15%) of employer respondents are currently looking at the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on benefits and pensions.A poll of www.employeebenefits.co.uk readers, which received 39 responses, also found that 31% are examining their staff data protection policies in light of the ...
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OpinionCrowley Woodford: Take stock of benefits strategies in light of upcoming changes
Employee benefit offerings come in all shapes and sizes. At one end of the spectrum, there are the traditional employee benefits such as contributions to an employee's pension scheme, childcare vouchers, and subsidised gym membership, and at the other end there are wine clubs, unlimited holiday allowances, and free-bacon Thursdays.With ...
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ArticleOntario to increase minimum wage to $15 an hour
Canadian province Ontario is to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019.The general minimum wage currently stands at $11.40 (£6.60) an hour and is scheduled to rise to $11.60 (£6.69) an hour in October 2017. The government intends to increase this to $14 (£8.08) an hour from ...
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Case StudiesUber court ruling puts 'self-employed' status in the spotlight
Uber drivers are workers, not self-employed contractors, a UK employment court found in October 2016. The ruling in the case Aslam and Farra v Uber means the app could have to pay its drivers holiday pay, the minimum wage, and pensions, among other benefits.The employment tribunal decision found that the ...
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ArticleHow the Spring Budget 2017 will affect employee benefits
On 8 March 2017, Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his Spring Budget 2017 speech. Below is a round-up of the key announcements that have a bearing on employee benefits:The government’s tax-free childcare policy, which provides parents with children under the age of 12 up to £2,000 a year per child to ...
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ArticleKeep up to date with the Spring Budget 2017
Chancellor Philip Hammond will deliver his Spring Budget 2017 speech at approximately 12.30pm on Wednesday 8 March 2017.Stay tuned to the Employee Benefits website for all the latest updates on how the Spring Budget could impact employers and staff.In the Autumn Statement 2016, key announcements included an increase in the ...
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OpinionKate Hurn and Penny Hunt: Potential artificial intelligence and automation employment law issues in 2017
In January this year, a Japanese insurance company announced plans to replace 34 employees with robots. Automation is likely to affect labour markets worldwide and the reality is drawing nearer; RBS and NatWest announced in 2016 that they will be using a virtual chatbot to deal with UK customer queries ...
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OpinionAnna Humphrey and Anna McCaffrey: Worker-status cases reflect growing scrutiny on changing ways of working
In November 2016, four couriers for CitySprint began their case in the Employment Tribunal alleging they should be considered workers and not self-employed contractors.Coming in the wake of October's Uber judgement in which the Employment Tribunal found that Uber drivers were workers, the case represents growing scrutiny on whether the ...
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ArticleHow the Autumn Statement 2016 will affect pay and benefits
Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his first, and with the scheduled changes to the fiscal event timetable, also his last, Autumn Statement on Wednesday 23 November 2016. Below is a summary of the key announcements impacting employers’ pay and benefits strategies:The range of benefits that attract tax and employer national insurance ...
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ArticleGovernment publishes draft legislation on limitations of salary sacrifice tax advantages
The government has published draft legislation on the limitation of tax and employer national insurance contribution (NIC) advantages where benefits are offered through a salary sacrifice arrangement or where the employee is provided with a choice between a benefit in kind (BIK) and cash allowance.The draft legislation has been published ...
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ArticleGovernment to review how benefits in kind are valued
Autumn Statement 2016: The government has announced it is to consider how benefits in kind are valued for tax purposes.According to the supporting documentation to the Autumn Statement, which was announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond today (23 November), this will include a call for evidence on the valuation of benefits ...
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ArticleGovernment to abolish employee shareholder status tax advantages
Autumn Statement 2016: The tax advantages awarded under employee shareholder status (ESS) will be abolished from December 2016.The tax advantages that are linked to ESS-provided shares will be abolished for arrangements entered into on, or after, 1 December 2016, with the status itself being closed to new arrangements at the ...
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OpinionSean Nesbitt: Uber by numbers – what next for worker status?
The Uber judgment is only the end of the beginning for the gig economy and the debate on worker status. You would need an algorithm to track the implications. Here are some:3-4: Months for an appeal to get to the Employment Appeals Tribunal. A speedy hearing is possible, but up ...
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ArticleGovernment committee launches inquiry into worker rights in the future world of work
The government has launched an inquiry into the future world of work, focusing on the working practices, status and rights of agency staff, self-employed individuals and those working in the gig economy.The inquiry, led by The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, centres on issues such as low pay and ...
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Article49% are concerned about the impact of Brexit on total reward
Almost half (49%) of employer respondents are concerned about the impact of Brexit on total reward, according to research by Willis Towers Watson.Its survey of 196 organisations, conducted in July 2016, also found that 49% of respondents are concerned about how Brexit will affect employee engagement and communication.The research also ...
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OpinionAkshay Choudhry: Uber test case could disrupt UK's burgeoning gig economy
In July, the Central London Employment Tribunal heard evidence concerning the employment status of two Uber drivers in a test case that could have a significant bearing on the rights of the tens of thousands of Uber drivers in the UK, and potentially countless others working in ...
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OpinionMarc Meryon: On-demand economy raises questions around workplace rights
New working models emerging from the digital, on-demand economy have given rise to a wave of tribunal cases, with individuals looking to establish the extent of their workplace rights.Earlier this year, four cycle couriers, supported by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, launched claims in the London Central Employment ...
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ArticleWhat should employers watch for after the EU leave vote?
On 23 June, the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union (EU).Since the result of the referendum was announced, there has been much uncertainty and speculation about the impact of the Leave decision on employment legislation and rights, workplace pensions and other employee benefits.With a minimum two-year wait on ...
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OpinionRaoul Parekh and Anne Croft: What could Brexit mean for share schemes?
Much of the Brexit debate has centred on whether leaving the EU will allow the UK to reduce the burden of business regulation. But what does this mean for employee share schemes?The mainstream press has been full of arguments about what Brexit might mean for employment law, with a contrast ...