The CBI is asking the Government to do as it has previously promised and urgently consult businesses about the Apprenticeship Levy’s future. According to a new Confederation of British Industry (CBI) report, ‘Learning on the job: Improving the Apprenticeship Levy’, urgent steps must be taken by Government to reform the Apprenticeship Levy in England, so firms […]

New passport validity rules will apply for travel to most European countries in a no-deal Brexit. Government is urging passport holders who may be affected to renew their passports ahead of 31 October. You may wish to pass on the following information from the Home Office and HM Passport on to your colleagues, employees, family and friends. […]

Almost 10% of UK employees are not receiving payslips, while one in 20 are missing out on their legal holiday entitlement, according to think tank the Resolution Foundation. The Resolution Foundation’s analysis into UK labour market violations has been released to mark a three-year study into enforcement. Last year, HMRC identified a record 200,000 cases […]

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) celebrate figures that show that the number of people in work is up 369,000 on last year.   Minister for Employment, Mims Davies said: “Wages are consistently rising faster than inflation – now for over a year and a half – meaning we’re seeing a sustained boost in pay, […]

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has called for a more flexible Apprenticeship Levy to benefit school leavers. The Institute says that UK SMEs are in danger of missing out on young talent if the levy is not reformed. The government introduced the apprenticeship levy in 2017 to help fund the […]

The government could be facing legal challenges from hundreds of thousands of teachers and doctors relating to changes to their pension schemes.   Law firm Leigh Day believes that teachers and doctors have grounds for a legal challenge against the government for age discrimination if they have been moved onto a less beneficial pension scheme.   As […]

Employers are being warned not to put their head in the sand after one business ended up with a £350,000 fine for failing to fully comply with its pension duties.   The anonymous case study is included in the most recent quarterly compliance and enforcement bulletin from The Pension Regulator (TPR).   Despite warnings from TPR, the […]

New research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reveals that small business owners are cutting profits and productivity-enhancing investments in an attempt to absorb inflation-beating wage increases.   The FSB surveyed more than 1,162 business owners and results show that over half (51%) of small firms were paying all staff at least £8.21 per hour […]

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed the annual updates to the Interest Rates and Thresholds of Income Contingent Student Loans.   The current threshold for 2019-20 for Plan 1 is £18,935 and the DfE have confirmed that from 6 April 2020 the threshold will rise to £19,390 for Plan 1.  Earnings above £19,390 will be calculated […]