Employment Update | April 2017
There is a busy time ahead and much for employers to be getting their heads around in the coming months. Aside from Brexit concerns and what this will mean for businesses in the medium to long term, there are also many changes that employers will need to gear up for
1 April 2017: National Living Wage. The national living wage for workers aged 25 and over will increase by 30p to £7.50 an hour. The rates of other minimum wage bands will also increase with 21 – 24 year olds entitled to £7.05 and apprentices entitled to £3.05.
2 April 2017: Statutory payments. The level of statutory maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental pay increases to £140.98 from £139.58
6 April 2017: The maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal will rise from £78,962 to £80,541 or 12 months’ salary (whichever is the lowest).
Further, the maximum amount of a week's pay used to calculate statutory redundancy payments and various awards including the basic and additional awards for unfair dismissal, rises from £479 to £489.
Weekly Statutory sick pay also rises to £89.35 from £88.45.
Immigration changes: UK employers recruiting skilled migrant labour from outside the EEA through the Tier 2 visa route will be much more expensive with the usual fee being £1000. The stated aim of the charge is to incentivise employers to invest in training and upskilling the resident workforce, thus reducing reliance on migrant workers.
Posted on 03/31/2017 by Ortolan
