All Tax and legislation articles – Page 5
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Article
Equality and Human Rights Commission updates pregnancy and maternity toolkit
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has updated its toolkit to provide employers with advice on how to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.The updated guidance now reflects changes to the law that have come into effect as of this month.The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) ...
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Article
Tribunal orders Phoenix Healthcare and Rentacar 24/7 to pay unpaid wages
An employment tribunal has ruled that Phoenix Healthcare and Rentacar 24/7 must pay £2,912.19 in unpaid wages and additional compensation after finding they underpaid a former employeeM Piekielniak was employed as a driver transporting carers between jobs by Phoenix Healthcare from 2 May 2021, and when not busy, would support ...
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Opinion
Sarah Tahamtani: Advice on menopause as a potential disability
Over the years, menopause has often been stigmatised and seen as a taboo both in and out of the workplace, leading to many women facing discrimination. This group represents a significant proportion of the workforce and attention needs to be paid. While there has been progress, more can still be ...
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Opinion
Ben Gorner: New protections for primary carers in employment
April marks both World Parkinson's Day (11 April) and Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week (22-28 April), two conditions that over time will often require those suffering to receive significant care. It may well be that those caring for affected people are family members also in employment, so how can employers ensure ...
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Analysis
What will the proposed fit note reforms mean for employers?
The government reforms will trial fit note process changes in order to improve triage and signposting. Making it easier to get a fit note will enable employers to help staff get assistance in a shorter amount of time, and potentially return to work faster. The reforms ...
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Article
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham worker wins £4.6m in discrimination tribunal
A worker employed by London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham who was dismissed after taking sick leave for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been awarded £4.6 million by an employment tribunal for disability discrimination.Rachael Wright-Turner had previously worked as a humanitarian assistance lead officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington ...
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Opinion
Melanie Morton: Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024: How to support employees
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024 this year takes place on 18-24 March. Neurodiversity refers to the natural range of differences in human brain function. We all think, move, process information and communicate in different ways. Many people use neurodiversity as an all-encompassing term used to describe alternative thinking styles such as ...
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Article
Manchester United in court action after HR data breach
A group of workers at Manchester United said they are suing the football club for an HR data breach, according to a lawyer leading the action. The club could face a damages claim totalling £100,000 after it accidentally emailed the wage slips of 167 employees to an ...
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Opinion
Sally Hulston: EHRC guidance on menopause in the workplace
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published new guidance on menopause in the workplace and set out employers’ legal obligations. The guidance reasserts the fact that women experiencing menopausal symptoms, particularly in severe cases, have certain protections under the Equality Act 2010.While the menopause is not itself a ...
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Article
How will the Spring Budget 2024 affect pay, pensions and employee benefits?
Image credit: photocosmos1 / Shutterstock.comChancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt (pictured), delivered his Spring Budget speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday 6 March. Below is a summary of the key announcements that could affect employers' pay, pensions and benefits strategies:Spring Budget 2024: National insurance contribution (NIC) rate cut ...
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Article
Spring Budget 2024: Government maintains fuel duty freeze for 12 months
Spring Budget 2024: The government is to maintain the current rates of fuel duty for a further 12 months to help support people with the cost of living.The measure, which was announced in the Spring Budget, will save the average car driver £50 in 2024-25 through the extension of the ...
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Article
Spring Budget 2024: National insurance contribution (NIC) rate cut to 8%
Spring Budget 2024: The government is to cut employee national insurance contributions (NICs) by two pence, falling from 10% to 8% from 6 April.In his Spring Budget, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that this will save the average worker on a salary of £35,400 around £900 a year, ...
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Article
Stay up to date with the Spring Budget 2024
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Spring Budget 2024 speech at 12.30pm on Wednesday 6 March 2024.Stay tuned to the Employee Benefits website for all the latest updates on how the Spring Budget could impact pay, pensions and benefits for employers and staff.The Autumn Statement 2023's key ...
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Opinion
Musab Hemsi: When it comes to baby loss, employers should not forget about fathers
As progressive workplaces move towards a more open and supportive culture, the impact of baby loss, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, is becoming more widely talked about. However, employer support is often focused on mothers, with less consideration given to the fact fathers are suffering too. As men ...
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Analysis
What do employers need to know about the pensions lifetime allowance abolition?
Credit: Natata/Shutterstock Need to know: The abolition of the pensions lifetime allowance in April will require an overhaul of employee communications, and a revaluation of pension scheme design and administration, including opportunities to simplify the scheme and reduce the cost of running it. Employers will need ...
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Article
Tribunal finds Oxford University professors should have had employee status
An employment tribunal has found that two creative writing professors who were employed as gig workers by Oxford University should have had employee status.Alice Jolly and Rebecca Abrams worked at the university since 2008 and 2007 respectively, and both taught the Master of Studies degree in Creative Writing.In 2022, they ...
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Opinion
Hannah Mugleston: Rights and support for employees undergoing IVF treatment
Pregnant women have a legal right to paid time off from the workplace to attend antenatal appointments. MP Nickie Aiken is campaigning for the same rights to be extended to those undergoing IVF treatment. Her private members bill regarding this will have its second reading in March 2024.Aiken is also ...
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Article
Addison Lee drivers reach settlement in workers’ rights dispute
Three drivers employed by private hire firm Addison Lee have reached an out-of-court settlement in a long-running dispute around holiday pay and the minimum wage.The claim was originally brought by three drivers, represented by law firm Leigh Day and members of trade union GMB. More than 600 drivers have subsequently ...
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Article
Easyjet, Estee Lauder and Greggs fail to pay national minimum wage
Estee Lauder Cosmetics, airline Easyjet and food chain Greggs are among more than 500 employers which failed to pay their lowest-paid employees the national minimum wage.An investigation by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) between 2015 and 2023 found that breaches by 524 employers caused more than 172,000 employees to ...
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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 ...