As 2016 draws to a close, what lies ahead in 2017 for employers?
nThe National Living Wage is set to increase in April from £7.20 to £7.50 per hour and this will benefit those aged 25 and over.
nIncreases in the National Minimum Wage are usually introduced in October each year but from April next year the timing of increases is being aligned with the National Living Wage
nApril 2017 will see a huge change in funding for apprenticeships with the commencement of the Apprenticeship Levy. Employers with an annual payroll of more than £3 million will have to pay a levy of 0.5% of their total pay bill. This will apply to less than 2% of employers and these employers will be able to access this money and a 10% top-up from the Government to fund apprenticeships from accredited training providers.
nOther organisations will be required to pay 10% towards the cost of an apprenticeship from an accredited training provider and this will be spread over the lifetime of the apprenticeship. The Government will meet the remaining cost.
nEmployers with 250 or more employees will be required to publish information on their gender pay gap which needs to be based on pay and bonus information from 2016/17 and published by April 2018.
nLooking further ahead to something which will affect all employers, the EU General Data Protection Regulations come into force in May 2018 and the Government has confirmed the UK will still be implementing these Regulations following Brexit.
nEmployers will need to audit employee personal data, have justification for collecting data, ensure it complies with new consent rules and make sure their policies are up to data.
nThere is always something new on the horizon for employers and if you would like further information or support for your business please contact Sheila Watson on 01429 857082 - sheila.watson@hartlepool.gov.uk
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