Employment Law 2017 Update
Have you got a question?
Trade Union Act:
The Act reforms the rules on trade union ballots for taking industrial action. The main provisions of the Act are :
- 50% turnout threshold for there to be a valid ballot on industrial action.
- Threshold of 40% support from all members in order to take industrial action in key sectors.
- Four month time limit for which the ballot will remain valid to authorise industrial action.
Gender Pay Gap Reporting:
The Government is introducing a completely new requirement for all large organisations to publish their gender pay gap. Employers will need to publish key wage information, and these details will need to include the difference in hourly earnings as well as the gap in bonus pay.
Apprenticeship Levy:
Employers with a wage bill of more than £3 million per year will be liable to pay a new apprenticeship levy. The levy will apply to all industry sectors, in both the public and private sector, for the purpose of raising money to meet the cost of apprenticeship schemes across the UK.
National Living Wage & National Minimum Wage:
Increases in hourly rates of pay for both the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.
- Maternity/Paternity/Adoption : £140.98
- Sick Pay : £89.35
- Lower Earnings Threshold : £113.00
- National Living Wage : £7.50
- Workers aged 21-24 : £7.05
- Workers ages 18-20 : £5.60
- Workers aged 16-17 : £4.05
- Apprentice rate : £3.50
Future changes for both will take place in April of each year (2017,2018..)
The Immigration Skills Charge Regulations 2017:
From April 2017 employers who sponsor skilled workers under tier 2 of the points based system will have to pay £1,000 per certificate.
Employers should confirm that they have checked that all their current employees have the right to work in the UK, and that they can prove that those checks have taken place. A paper trail will be essential.
General Data Protection Regulations:
Employers will be required to carry out audits of employee personal data that they collect and process to ensure it meets the General Data Protection Regulations.
Salary Sacrifice Scheme:
Tax savings on specific types of salary sacrifice and benefits are to be annulled.
Tax-free Childcare Scheme:
Over the course of 2017, new tax free childcare schemes are to be put in place, providing up to £2000 of support per child for working parents.
Public Sector Exit Payments:
A limit of £95,000 on exit payments are to come into effect (June 2017).
Contact us today for help regarding employment law:
Belfast: 028 9002 2371
London: 020 3051 5060
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article
Alessio, with the Marketing team, strives to help colleagues excel with client care, while also keeping the firm ‘on the pulse’ regarding the most critical...
-
Aviation House, 125 Kingsway
London WC2B NH
United Kingdom
- (+44) 020-3051-5060
Book a call back
Share this article
Got a question?
Please complete this form to send an enquiry. Your message will be sent to one member of our team.
Related posts
Companies House registration changes
There were some significant amendments to the Companies House rules, which came into force on 4th March 2024. Although slightly more onerous, these
Greenwashing in the Aviation Industry
Greenwashing refers to untrue or misleading statements made about the environmental impact of products, businesses, or services. In recent years this has become
Potential Criminal Liability for Conveyancing Solicitors and Estate Agents: Implications of The Revised TA6 Property Information Form
Those of us who have been in the property market for long enough will remember the disastrous introduction of the Home Information Pack,
Oracle Solicitors advises a German assets acquisition by a Chinese purchaser
Our client is a company listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange, one of the biggest intelligent power distribution solution providers as well as manufacturer of smart meters, transformers, box-type substations, E-Car charger and photovoltaic inverters.
