The European Commission is taking another important step to protect workers in the European Union from workplace-related cancer as well as other health problems. The Commission proposes to limit workers' exposure to five cancer-causing chemicals, in addition to the 21 substances that have already been limited or proposed to be limited. Estimates show that the proposal would improve working conditions for over 1,000,000 EU workers and prevent over 22,000 cases of work-related illness. Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Lab... Continue reading

The deadline for companies to publish details of their gender pay gap (4 April) has passed but the Equality and Human Rights Commission says that more than 1,500 organisations failed to meet that deadline. Those companies will now be contacted and reminded of their legal obligations. Those that fail to comply will then be investigated by the Commission and potentially face legal action, including unlimited fines. Gender pay gap reporting is not the same as equal pay. Reporting legislation requires employers – companies, charities and public... Continue reading

More than £1.28bn of the funding that has been paid into the Apprenticeship Levy is still sitting in National Apprenticeship Service accounts, new data analysis commissioned by The Open University has found. Introduced a year ago, businesses with an annual pay bill of £3m or above are subject to the levy (0.5% of the annual pay bill) and, in return, are able to claim a £15,000 allowance, which is offset against the levy to invest in apprenticeship training. Those companies with a smaller annual pay bill are also entitled to receive funding ... Continue reading

Since 6 April 2018, employers now need to report all Benefits in Kind (BiKs), including those under the Optional Remuneration Arrangements (OpRAs), to HMRC on form P11D, unless they are registered to voluntarily payroll benefits. OpRAs are where an employee gives up the right to an amount of earnings in return for a Benefit in Kind (BiK) and includes flexible benefit packages with a cash option, cash allowances and salary sacrifice. The Income Tax and employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) advantages of BiKs – and employee NICs ad... Continue reading

Just 17% of UK companies have policies and strategies in place for the use of ‘non-traditional’ labour, including freelancers, contractors and ‘gig’ employees. This is despite the fact that a large proportion of UK business leaders report a significant number of contractors, freelancers and gig workers in their workforces. The findings come from the 2018 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey, which tracks the top trends shaping the agenda for HR and business leaders. While many organisations rely on ‘non-traditional’ workers,... Continue reading