1 January
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Whistleblowing
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“Prescribed persons” are required to produce annual reports of whistleblowing
disclosures (without identifying the worker who made the disclosure, their employer
or other person about whom the disclosure was made).
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11 January
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Zero hours contracts
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Regulations came into force which provides the right to unfair dismissal protection
for employees working under a zero hours contract who are dismissed because the
employee has failed to comply with an exclusivity clause.
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31 March
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Modern slavery
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Organisations with a turnover of £36 million must publish an annual slavery and
human trafficking statement in respect of financial years ending on or after this date.
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1 April
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National Living Wage
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Introduction of the National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and over paid at the
rate of £7.20 per hour.
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1 April
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Penalties for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage
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Penalties for failing to pay the appropriate rates doubled from 100% of the shortfall
in wages to 200% of the shortfall, capped at £20,000 per worker.
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6 April
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Increases to ET limits
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Increase in the maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal to £78,962 (from
£78,335).
Increase in the maximum amount of a week’s pay used to calculate statutory redundancy
payments and various awards including the basic award for unfair dismissal
claims to £479 (from £475).
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6 April
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Limits on number of postponements to ET hearings
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Parties can only make two applications to postpone hearing dates and costs may be imposed against a party who makes a late application.
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6 April
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Statutory payments for SMP
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No increase in the weekly rates. These will remain as follows:
1. SMP, SAP; PP and ShPP - £139.58 per week
2. Sick pay - £88.45 per week.
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8 May
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Recruitment agencies
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Changes affecting the regulation of recruitment agencies come into effect.
Employment agencies will not have to agree terms and enter into a written contract
with the hirer before providing services.
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23 June
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Referendum
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Referendum on whether UK should remain in the EU.
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Date TBC - expected October 2016
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Gender Pay Reporting
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Section 78 of the Equality Act 2010 enables the Government to make regulations
requiring employers with over 250 employees to publish details of their gender pay
gap. The Government’s response to the consultation is expected soon.
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Date TBC
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Repayment of public sector exit payments
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Qualifying individuals will be obliged to notify their new and previous employer
where they propose to return to any part of the public sector (as an employee, self
employed contractor or office holder) after they have received a public sector exit
payment within the previous 12 months.
Public sector exit payments include those paid for loss of employment, including
enhanced redundancy payments, discretionary payments to buy out actuarial
reductions to pensions and severance payments. It does not apply to payments
in lieu of notice, contractual bonus payments or those made in connection with
incapacity, or payments awarded to the individual by a court or tribunal.
Qualifying individuals are those who earned £80,000 or more within 12 months of
receiving their exit payment.
Repayment will be tapered, so for example, an employee returning within two
months of receiving an exit payment will repay more than an employee returning
nine months after receiving the payment.
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Date TBC
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Exit payments and apprenticeships
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The Enterprise Bill 2015-16 will introduce:
- A £95,000 cap on exit payments made to public sector workers to end six-figure
payoffs.
- Regulations to restrict the use of the word “apprenticeship” to Governmentaccredited
schemes and to increase the number of public sector apprenticeships
offered.
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Date TBC
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Trade unions
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Proposed changes to balloting rules for industrial action including enhanced rules
for “essential public services”, removing the prohibition on using agency staff to
cover striking employees, measures on picketing, facility time, political donations and
additional powers for the Certification Officer.
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Date TBC
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Tax treatment of termination payments
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Proposals include treating all payments in lieu of notice as taxable. The government’s
response to the recent consultation is expected later this year.
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Date TBC
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Company directors
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All company directors should be natural persons (not corporate entities). There will be
a 12 month grace period after which corporate directors will cease to be directors by
operation of law.
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