Working in Partnership

A summary of changes to pay, including pension contribution increase, NMW/NLW increases and payslip changes.

From 28 January 2019 it is going to be easier to check new (and existing) right to work status by using the Home Office's Right to Work Checking service:

 The Home Office's Right to Work Checking Service 

Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 employers are required to prevent illegal working, failure to do so and as an employer you could be ordered to pay a civil penalty of £20,000 per worker. 

However, a statutory excuse is possibly OK if you properly requested the original documentation and checked these details thoroughly prior to the commencement of employment - providing (of course) the paperwork indicated that the new employee has the legal right to work in the UK.

Up to the 28 January 2019, the only way to check these obligations was by checking the oringal documents.  However you will now be able to use the Home Office checker (link above).

Before using this service, ensure you have asked the employee for their consent to obtain this personal information.  And ensure you keep a copy of the online check report for a minimum of 2 years after the employment ends.  You can also use this service for existing employees to ensure they still have the right to work in the UK.

If you would like to use our Right To Work Checklist please do not hesitate to contact us.

Just want to take this opportunity to wish all our clients, both past present and future a happy new year.

2019 is going to be great!

April changes

We can confirm the following pay rate changes:

1 April, the hourly rate of the national living wage and national minimum wage increases for workers aged:

• 25 and over from £7.83 to £8.21

• 21-24 from £7.38 to £7.70

• 18- 20 from £5.90 to £6.15

• 16- 17 from £4.20 to £4.35


The apprenticeship rate increases to £3.90.

6 April, statutory sick pay (SSP) increases to £94.25 a week. 

7 April, the statutory rates for family-friendly leave increases to £148.68.    

Changes to Payslips

 On the 6 April 2019, employees and workers are to receive an itemised pay statement which sets out the hours they worked and where pay varies.

Employers you will need to check your payroll systems to ensure you are able to comply with these changes.  

The proposed rates for statutory sick pay (SSP), statutory maternity pay (SMP), statutory paternity pay (SPP), shared parental pay (ShPP) and statutory adoption pay (SA) have now been published.  They haven’t yet been approved in parliament, but it is unlikely to change.  To keep you ahead of the game, the proposed rates are:

·         From 6^th April 2019, SSP will increase from £92.05 per week to £94.25 per week

·         From 7^th April 2019, SMP, SPP, ShPP and SAP will all increase from £145.18 per week to £148.68 per week.  If the employee’s average weekly earnings is less than the statutory rate, their pay will be 90% of their average weekly earnings.

In order to qualify for statutory payments, the employee must reach the lower earnings limit. This is due to increase from £116.00 per week to £118.00 per week.

Check back here regularly – as soon as these amounts are confirmed, we will let you know!

So you discover your employee has allegedly commited theft against the Company?  And that employee is currently at the start of 2 weeks annual leave but you want to get this wrapped up quickly to spread the word that theft is not acceptable!

Do you invite the employee to the hearing whilst they are on holiday?  No!  Even if you know they are not going anywhere and are just sunbathing in their back garden?  Absolutely no!

Recently IKEA made a simple mistake by inviting an employee to an investigation and then disciplinary whilst the employee was on holiday.  Which cost the Company over £23,000 in compensation.

Due to the employee not being able to attend the investigation or disciplinary hearing (as they were on holiday) they were not able to put their side of the story across and then this wasn't taken into account when the decision was made.  He was dismissed over a 97p milkshake and ended up costing the Company £23,000.

It was also the culture for employees to take the a free drink, but this poor chap had been singled out and made an example of.

What to do in future?

1. Ensure the employee is not on holiday when arranging the disciplinary proceedings.
2. If an employee takes something, do not assume it was theft.  Check your culture first.
3. If you discover it is in the culture and you were not aware, then you need to address with every member of staff, either by staff bulletin or individual letters stating that it is not acceptable.