Pay and benefits
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, HR professionals have had their fair share of employment law rulings to keep track of in 2021. We count down the 10 most important judgments of the year that every employer should know about.
As well as continuing to deal with workplace issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there will be many other important employment law developments for HR to grapple with in 2022. What does HR need to do to meet its obligations and prepare for the coming year?
Most employers recognise that recruitment is far from an exact science. A candidate might interview well, but how do we know that they can fulfil the role? Alan Lewis, partner with Constantine Law, examines the grey area of work trials and their interpretation under national minimum wage rules.
The new Pension Schemes Act gives the Pensions Regulator increased power to prosecute on behalf of scheme members who have been left shortchanged by the actions of a variety of people involved in a business. Simon Kew gauges how businesses should respond to the changes.
While continuing to deal with the impact of coronavirus, HR professionals must ensure that their organisation complies with the usual raft of April employment law changes. In April 2021, these changes include the extension of IR35 reforms to the private sector, a tweak to the national minimum wage age bands, and increases to statutory redundancy pay and statutory maternity pay.
HR professionals in public authorities may think that the extension of IR35 reforms to the private sector in April 2021 will not affect them. However, public-sector bodies need to be aware of, and prepare for, some changes to the rules.
A benefits scheme is a vital part of HR's recruitment and retention toolkit but employers are starting to realise that traditional off-the-shelf packages are no longer the best way to meet changing employee needs and attract new talent.
2020 was the year that HR was required to react to the unexpected, but it's now time to plan for the known challenges in the coming year. We look at what HR can do to prepare for 2021.
Changing the defined contribution (DC) pension scheme might be something organisations are considering in the context of furlough or simply in the course of your ordinary business. Done well, change exercises can be a great opportunity to educate and engage employees about pension benefits. Helen Rowan identifies eight practical steps that HR teams should consider to make the pension change a success.
Consultant editor Darren Newman looks at the latest rulings in a long line of holiday pay cases, including one with significant back-pay implications for Northern Ireland employers. He also explains why the issue of lengthy back-pay periods may not yet be completely resolved for employers in the rest of the UK.
Commentary and insights: HR and legal information and guidance relating to pay and benefits.