All employers are now familiar with furlough and the Government’s Job Retention Scheme which offers UK employers grants from HMRC to cover 80% (up to a maximum of £2,500 per worker per month) of the wages of staff who are on the payroll but not working because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Employees placed on furlough […]

On Saturday the government updated the guidance for employers on how to claim for the wages of furloughed employees via the new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The new guidance provides greater clarity on a number of issues that have been troubling employers these last two weeks, such as who is eligible to be furloughed, what […]

Following the 53 recommendations set out in the 2018 Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices, the government put together the Good Working Report. Some elements of the report, such as the changes to payslips and the increase in penalties awarded in the Employment Tribunal, have already come into force. However, the majority of changes will […]

According to the Chief Medical Officer, expectant mothers fall into the “at risk” category of the population. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, employers have been asking many questions in relation to how the virus will affect expectant mothers and women on maternity leave. This is especially so since the introduction of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme […]

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), if an employee is unable to take their annual leave entitlement in the year in which it accrues, they cannot carry it forward except in limited circumstances where it has not been possible for the employee to take holiday. For example, this may occur as a result of […]

The announcement of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, with the Government promising to pay 80% of employees’ wages capped at £2,500, left many employers asking a lot of furlough related questions. The Government’s formal Guidance, whilst going some way to providing employers with clarity, has still left many questions unanswered and it remains to be […]

In recent years, the uptake of apprenticeships in many different industries has increased. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, many employers are uncertain as to the rules surrounding apprenticeships. What factors should an employer take into consideration when making decisions about apprentices? The Government has given the following specific advice: Training providers are encouraged to […]

Following the announcement that employers can receive help from the government through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, ministers were criticised for the lack of help that was being provided to Britain’s 5 million self-employed workers. Last night Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced measures to support self-employed people who have suffered a loss of income as a […]

The Government has now released formal Guidance for employers who are considering furloughing employees. The full Guidance is available here. The latest Guidance can be summarised as follows: Furloughed employees must have been on the employer’s payroll on 28 February 2020. The scheme applies to full-time employees, part-time employees, employees on agency contracts and employees on […]

On Tuesday, the Government Equalities Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission jointly made the decision to suspend the need for companies to report on the gender pay gap in their workforce. The decision was made due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the government gave its assurance that the decision would not derail attempts […]

With the coronavirus pandemic causing disruption to our everyday lives, to an extent unprecedented in peacetime, many businesses are struggling to decide how to react. A common question being asked is “If our employees would struggle to work from home should we insist that they come into work?” An employer who elects to operate normally […]

Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic the government has announced that it will postpone the implementation of IR35 changes. The reforms which were due to take effect from 6 April 2020 will now be postponed until 6 April 2021 as the government steps up its response to the spread of COVID-19 and its economic impact. What […]