Penalty notices Section 89 of the Pensions Act 2004 gives us the power to publish information on cases where we have exercised or considered exercising our powers. Our ability to publish information – including details of our enforcement cases – plays an important part in enabling our commitment to transparency, and increases awareness and understanding […]

The National Living Wage is now in action. But who does it effect? As of April 1st 2016, the National Living Wage (NLW) is now in full force. This means that it is now a legal requirement for workers aged 25 or over to be paid at least £7.20 per hour – unless of course they […]

Nursing home fined £15,000 for failing to protect sensitive staff & patient data. Are you looking after HR information properly? Your company has a legal obligation to protect the personal information you hold about your employees, as governed by the Data Protection Act. Among other things, you are legally obliged to ensure that personal employee information […]

One-fifth of young men say their gender will help them earn more money; nearly half of business execs say gender pay gap is down to ‘natural discrimination’ More than two-fifths of young women expect to face sex discrimination at work, new research has found. When questioned about their career expectations, 41 per cent of women […]

Human resources jobs, news & events HMRC clamping down on individuals wrongly classified as self-employed, with SMEs hit particularly hard Payroll errors cost UK employers more than £700 million in the last financial year, with underpaid tax relating to individuals who were wrongly declared self-employed at the root of many of the problems. Research from […]

Minimum wage increase – don’t get caught out in October In October 2016, most minimum wage rates will increase. The national living wage (NLW), which applies to workers aged 25 or over, will not increase. Rates are as follows: Age October 2015 April 2016 October 2016 25 and over £6.70 £7.20 £7.20 21-24 £6.70 £6.70 […]

All too often HR is seen as a barrier to commercial success, so it’s time to widen our concept of self-development, writes Penny Whitelock I work across many sectors, and it is quite common that when candidates respond to questions about HR, the answer is often accompanied by a rolling of the eyes and ‘that […]

Tribunal hears woman felt “powerless” and feared for her safety following verbal and physical abuse A former employee at an anti-abuse charity has been awarded £90,000 after a prolonged campaign of sexual harassment by her manager that left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ali Khan, founder of Glasgow-based charity Roshni, verbally and physically […]

Payroll and HR are two elements of business that often get neglected. The average small business owner will spend between seven and 25 per cent of their working hours handling employee paperwork. While outsourcing may seem ldaunting, it can certainly free up time. ng your employees correctly is crucial, and mistakes could cost you far […]