Template HR

07/04/2023

2023 budget changes that may impact businesses;

- 30 hours of free childcare offered to working parents in England expanded to cover one and two year olds. This could considerably open up recruitment talent pools.

- £63m for programmes to encourage retirees over 50 back to work, "returnships" and skills boot camps.

03/04/2023

http://wix.to/Y350ArD

17/03/2023

Does your organisation have a Neurodiverse workforce?

More importantly, does it understand the significance in creating a culture where employees can learn and celebrate people's differences?

Update your policies now with Template HR.

28/02/2023

2023 looks set to be another busy year for
employers in respect of changes to employment
law, starting with the usual set of rate changes.

Are your policies and documents up to date? 📄

1. The National Minimum Wage and National
Living Wage rates will be as follows:

- For workers aged 23 and over (i.e. the National
Living Wage), the rate will increase from £9.50 perhour to £10.42 per hour;
- For workers aged 21-22, the rate will increase from £9.18 per hour to £10.18 per hour;
- For workers aged 18-20, the rate will increase from £6.83 per hour to £7.49 per hour;
- For workers aged 16-17, the rate will increase from £4.81 per hour to £5.28 per hour;

The apprentice rate will increase from £4.81 per
hour to £5.28 per hour.

2. New rates for Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Shared Parental Pay, Adoption Pay, Maternity Allowance, and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

The maximum rate for all of these family-friendly
payments will increase from £156.66 to £172.48
per week.

3. Statutory Sick Pay

The new rate will come into force on 6 April 2023 and the rate will increase from £99.35 to £109.40 per week.

22/02/2023

Will the UK follow suit?
Who else is going to look to amend their Absence Policies to accommodate?

17/02/2023

Reminder that the Government are seeking views on the proposals to pro-data holiday entitlement for part year and irregular hours workers based on the annual hours they work.

Consultation closes on 9th March so be quick and follow the link if you want to have your say!

We're seeking views on proposals to pro-rata holiday entitlement for part-year and irregular hours workers based on the annual hours they work.

14/02/2023

Did you know employers are legally required to allow disability leave for those employees who need time off to train their guide or assistance dogs?

We answer some frequently asked questions from staff and employers about guide dogs in the workplace.

13/02/2023

Useful summary of the planned legislative changes for 2023. Make sure your documents are always compliant and up to date with Template HR.

09/02/2023

Download our Mental Health First Aider Guidance for more info on where to signpost employees to the right support

07/02/2023

Who were the bosses that shaped you??

03/02/2023

Positive language will always result in a more positive impact…

01/02/2023

Q: Are employees entitled to time off when schools are closed due to strikes?

Your employee is entitled to a reasonable amount of time off work to take necessary action to deal with an unexpected disruption or termination of their usual childcare arrangements.

What’s key is, can the school closure be described as ‘unexpected’? Parents will usually get advance notice of potential strike action, which gives them time to arrange alternative childcare.

In contrast, affected parents might only have been informed of a decision to close a school due to sudden, adverse weather conditions (e.g. snow, flooding) on the particular day in question. Hence, it was unexpected.

The test will be to establish that it is necessary to take this time off. If your employee hasn’t taken appropriate steps to make alternative arrangements, having had sufficient time to do so, then generally speaking, they’ll struggle to establish that it is necessary for them to take a reasonable amount of time off.

A reasonable employer should try to accommodate them by:

- Allowing employees to take annual leave as an exception to usual policy/practice
- Offering a day of unpaid authorised leave
- Allowing employees to work from home on an exceptional basis