|
1 January
|
Whistleblowing
|
“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).
|
|
11 January
|
Zero hours contracts
|
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.
|
|
1 April
|
National Living Wage
|
National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and over will be introduced at the
rate of £7.20 per hour.
|
|
1 April
|
Penalties for failing to pay the
National Minimum Wage or
National Living Wage
|
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.
|
|
6 April
|
Increase to ET limits
|
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).
|
|
6 April
|
Statutory payments for SMP
|
There will be no increase in the weekly rates. These will remain as follows:
- SMP, SAP; PP and ShPP - £139.58 per week
- Sick pay - £88.45 per week.
|
|
23 June
|
EU Referendum
|
Referendum on whether UK should remain in the EU.
|
|
Expected October 2016
|
Gender Pay Reporting
|
Employers with over 250 employees will have to publish details of their gender pay
gap. This will not apply to public sector employers yet.
|
|
Date TBC
|
Repayment of public sector
exit payments
|
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.
|
|
Date TBC
|
Exit payments and apprenticeships
|
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
Government-accredited schemes and to increase the number of public
sector apprenticeships offered.
|
|
Date TBC
|
Trade unions
|
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.
|
|
Date TBC
|
Tax treatment of termination payments
|
Proposals include treating all payments in lieu of notice as taxable. The Government’s
response to the recent consultation is expected later this year.
|
|
Date TBC
|
Company directors
|
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.
|
