Employment Appeal Tribunal Judgement: National Minimum Wage – deductions for training costs and accommodation expenses
Can making deductions from wages for training costs and accommodation expenses put you in breach of minimum wage law? Yes, in certain circumstances, according to a recent case between HMRC and Ant Marketing Ltd. Employers must be aware of what this judgement means for their business. JMW Solicitors LLP explain in this helpful article – read now >
FCSA Workforce Barometer: What price the UK’s slow return to the office?
In the August edition of our monthly market analysis report, we continue to report of the key market data and insights relating to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This issue looks closely at the impact of the lockdown on the UK economy, an extensive overview of companies’ work at home policies and employers who are planning to make redundancies, as well as a full year 2019 retrospective on non-UK nationals in the UK workforce ahead of Brexit.
Download now >
FCSA engages with HMRC on calls for evidence for tackling disguised remuneration tax avoidance
HMRC recently issued a call for evidence for tackling the future use of disguised remuneration. HMRC has agreed to give the FCSA its own roundtable forum on the 17th September to hear sector experts assist with the consultation. Three member companies have agreed to join FCSA CEO, Phil Pluck in responding to the call for evidence. If you have any comments you would like Phil to take into the discussions (either quoted or anonymised), please do drop him an email to phil.pluck@fcsa.org.uk before the 17th September.
You can read a copy of the consultation document here >
How will contractor numbers fare in the light of COVID-19 and the recession?
Dave Chaplin, writing in Contractor Weekly, comments on a recent survey of over 1000 contractors showing a growing exodus from freelance work despite the fact this population will be in greatest demand when demand does return to the sector.
You can read the full article here >
Institute for Public Policy Research warns UK government of potential 2 million job losses when furlough scheme ends
In a report published by the Thinktank, The Institute for Public Policy Research, “Rescue and Recovery – COVD-19, Jobs and Income Security”, it has warned the government that 2 million job will be lost, unnecessarily, when the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) ends this October.
The Institute estimates that 3 million workers will still be relying on the furlough scheme when it finishes due to a “continued shortfall in demand”. They also estimate that 1 million people will lose their jobs, primarily in the worst affected sectors such as retail, hospitality, manufacturing and construction, but 2 million jobs could be protected if the government were to extend wage subsidies into early next year.
For more information about the Institutes latest findings and recommendations to government, click here >
REC reports new post-lockdown high in job adverts
The number of job adverts posted in the UK rose to the highest weekly total in the first week of August according to the latest analysis by the REC.
In the week commencing 3 August, job postings increased from 1.04 million to 1.10 million, 126,000 were new job adverts; the highest recorded since the coronavirus crisis began.
In their findings, they reported a strong rise in job postings for positions in gardening, construction, painting and decorating, LGV drivers and perhaps not surprisingly, debt collectors.
Second stage of Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) now open for applications
Self-employed people whose livelihoods have been affected by coronavirus can now claim a second payment from the SEISS scheme. Those who are eligible with receive a government grant worth up to £6,750.
To date, over 2.7 million self-employed people have benefited from the scheme, receiving in total £7.8 billion.
The eligibility criteria remains the same as for the first grant, with people needing to have had trading profits of no more than £50,000, making up at least half of their total income.
HMRC will contact all potentially eligible persons to advise them that they will be able to make their claim for the second and final grant at any time from a specified date, until the scheme closes on 19 October 2020.
New law to ensure furloughed employees receive full redundancy payments
As of 31 July 2020, furloughed employees will be entitled to receive statutory redundancy pay based on their normal wages, rather than a reduced furlough rate.
The new law announced by the government will mean those furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will not be short-changed in the event of being made redundant. The changes will also apply to statutory notice pay and other entitlements.
For more information, click here >