See below our list of employment law changes, reminders and actions for April 2022...
From 1 April the National Minimum Wage rates will be changing to:
National Living Wage | £9.50
21-22 Year Old Rate | £9.18
18-20 Year Old Rate | £6.83
16-17 Year Old Rate | £4.81
Apprentice Rate | £4.81
Employers need to make sure that these changes are reflected in their payroll and ensure their staff are getting paid the correct rate for their age. Failure to pay staff at least minimum wage will leave employers vulnerable to financial penalties of up to £20,000 per worker which will be costly for their business. Check out the GOV.UK website here Minimum wage rates for 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) to find out more.
From 3 April, statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and parental bereavement pay will increase from £151.97 per week to £156.66 per week.
Statutory sick pay will increase on 6 April from £96.35 per week to £99.35 per week. The lower earnings limit for eligibility for these payments is also increasing from £120 to £123 per week.
From 6 April, the grace period given to employers last year no longer applies. Employers that are engaging contractors must regularly review the status of their workers to determine whether IR35 applies and ensure that their assessment is accurate and correct. Employers must make the appropriate updates and changes to a workers employment status if their status has changed.
Employees with two years’ service in an organisation that are made redundant, must be paid based on their age, weekly pay and length of service. From 6 April, the maximum amount of statutory redundancy pay is rising to £571 per week.
From 6 April employers can no longer accept physical biometric cards for the purposes of right to work checks. Employers must visit the Home Office's online service to access an individuals immigration status and their right to work in the UK. The online service can be accessed here View a job applicant's right to work details - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), click this link to familiarise yourself with the service. If an employer is found to be employing an individual who does not have the right to work in the UK, they can be fined up to £20,000 per employee.
Do you need further advice on the changes discussed in this blog? Call us on 01656 336097 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help!
