Labour's Plans for Employment Law and Workers Rights

October 01, 2023Alan Kitto

At a recent speech to the TUC Congress, Labour’s deputy Leader has said that within the first one hundred days of a Labour Government, we would see the following changes.

Extending Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Guidelines to Remote Workers

August 30, 2023Alan Kitto

In our ever-evolving work landscape, the boundaries of the traditional office have expanded, and remote work has become a prevalent mode of operation. As this trend continues, it's paramount that employers uphold the same standards of safety for employees working remotely as they do for those in the office. In this news item, we'll explore why extending Display Screen Equipment (DSE) guidelines to remote workers is essential and how it can contribute to a safer and more productive work environment.

The Rise of AI in HR

July 28, 2023Alan Kitto

The landscape of Human Resources (HR) is evolving at an unprecedented pace, thanks to the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As AI technologies continue to advance, it has sparked discussions and raised questions about the potential replacement of HR professionals by AI.

Fostering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

June 22, 2023Alan Kitto

Employers play a pivotal role in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Here we focus on recent developments in employment law regarding DEI and provide practical guidance for employers to take proactive steps toward creating inclusive work environments that celebrate diversity and ensure equal opportunities for all.

Agile Working, Hybrid Working and Home-Working ...

June 05, 2023Alan Kitto

Having documented policies about hybrid working, agile working, or home working is a highly recommended practice for employers. Here are several reasons why we feel it is beneficial:

Two Interesting Employment Appeal Tribunal Decisions

May 28, 2023Alan Kitto

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has, within the last few weeks, reached its decision on two separate matters that were each cause for considerable debate at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Legislation Update

May 28, 2023Alan Kitto

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act, The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act and the Carer’s Leave Act have now all now received Royal Assent and are expected to come in to force in 2024.

Proposed Employment Law Changes

May 12, 2023Alan Kitto

Late yesterday afternoon, the Government has announced a number of changes to employment law …

Changes to Employment Law Under Consideration

April 27, 2023Alan Kitto

We haven’t seen any significant changes to employment law for several years; The Government is however currently considering a number of Private Members’ Bills that relate to employment law …

Modern Slavery Statements

April 13, 2023Alan Kitto

Companies with an annual turnover of £ 36 million or more are legally obliged to publish a modern slavery statement, which must be reviewed annually, within six months of the company’s financial year-end.

Mandatory Gender Pay Gap Reporting

April 03, 2023Alan Kitto

Companies with 250 or more employees on 5th April 2022 should by now have published their gender pay gap report for 2022 (employers have a calendar year to do this)

New Compensation Increases Announced

March 15, 2023Alan Kitto

The government has announced that with effect from 6th April 2023, the following statutory entitlements will be increased …

Employing Remote Workers - A Warning

February 13, 2023Alan Kitto

With recruitment markets as challenging as they are, more and more employers are looking to widen their available talent pools and are recruiting employees outside of their normal geographical catchment area on the premise that successful applicants will work from their homes rather than their employer’s premises.

An Etiquette Guide to Online Meetings

January 24, 2023Alan Kitto

If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that Teams and Zoom meetings are now a normal part of our working day, instead of everyone being together in a meeting room together.

As such, we feel it’s important that employers set some etiquette guidelines to ensure professionalism is maintained; here are some ground rules that we feel will ensure that online meetings are as productive and professional as possible.

Merry Christmas from Us to You ...

December 19, 2022Alan Kitto

As Christmas draws ever closer, we wanted to take the opportunity to of saying that it’s been a huge pleasure working with you this year and we hope that you’re able to recharge your spent batteries over the Christmas period ready for what I very much hope will be a prosperous 2022, despite the best efforts of coronavirus.

Likely Changes to Flexible Working Rights

December 05, 2022Alan Kitto

The outcomes of the Government’s 2021 consultation on flexible working legislation were published earlier today and we’re likely to see a number of changes to current legislation.

2023 National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage Rates

November 17, 2022Alan Kitto

In the Chancellor's Autumn Statement earlier today, the Government announced the new National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates, effective from April 2023.

National Minimum and Living Wage

October 21, 2022Alan Kitto

It has been reported that earlier today, the Low Pay Commission, the body that makes recommendations to the UK Government in regard to both the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, is likely to recommend an increase in the National Living Wage rage (currently applicable to those aged 23 and above), from £9.50 per hour, to £10.32 per hour in 2023 and £10.95 per hour in 2024.

Employer/Employee Taxation Changes

October 05, 2022Alan Kitto

At the end of September 2022 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a number of taxation changes that relate to employment, including the repeal of reforms to the Off-Payroll Working (OPW) rules introduced in the public sector in 2017 and extended to medium and large-sized organisations in the private and voluntary sectors in 2021 (often referred to as IR35)

Retained EU Law

October 03, 2022Alan Kitto

At the end of last week the UK Government published the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill; it’s not the snappiest title for a Government Bill but it could be the most significant piece of legislation we’ve seen in recent memory.