Employment

Government issues new Treasury Direction in relation to the fourth payment under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

Direction confirms that claims for SEISS 4 must be made on or before 1 June 2021

New JobStart Scheme launched in Northern Ireland to fund work opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds

Scheme to provide employers with 100 percent of National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for 25 hours a week on six or nine month placements

Presidential Guidance issued on hearing Employment Tribunal cases remotely ‘by default’ in 2021/2022

New 'road map' for the year also sets out staffing developments including a 'virtual region' that will bring together judges and lay members remotely to hear cases

Increase in banding rates for Employment Tribunal awards for injury to feelings

Joint Presidential Guidance increases banding for claims presented on or after 6 April 2021

Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland agrees 2021/2022 agricultural pay rates

New minimum rates to take effect from 1 April 2021

Senior President of Tribunals issues Practice Direction authorising Employment Tribunal legal officers to carry out specified functions

However, authorised officers will still need to comply with Employment Presidents’ guidance and act under supervision of Employment Judges

TUC and employment rights lawyers warn of ‘huge gaps’ in law relating to use of artificial intelligence at work

Union calls for urgent legal reform in light of evidence that AI is now being used to make 'high-risk, life changing' decisions about workers' lives

Increase of limits applying in 2021/2022 to certain awards of employment tribunals and other sums payable under employment legislation in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

Almost 11.5 million jobs have been furloughed since CJRS was introduced in March 2020

Total value of claims increases by almost £4 billion in the last month to stand at more than £57 billion

Consultation launched on National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates to apply from 2022

Low Pay Commission particularly interested in views on National Living Wage in light of government's target for rate to reach two-thirds of median earnings by 2024

Workers should not be forced to have Covid-19 vaccination, says TUC

Forcing workers to get vaccinated will harm trust and employee relations and may also be discriminatory and leave employers open to legal challenge

Supreme Court rules that workers who undertake ‘sleep in’ shifts are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage for time that is not spent actually performing some specific work activity

One in three BME workers say they have been unfairly turned down for a job

New TUC survey also finds that BME workers are almost twice as likely to be told that their job may be at risk if they don't accept worse conditions or reapply for position

National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates and pay calculation rules from April 2021

New statutory instrument sets out new rates and includes provisions that reduce the National Living Wage age limit to 23

Uber’s reclassification of its UK drivers as workers following landmark Supreme Court judgment will ‘shake up gig economy’

Court's ruling should be heeded as a warning to companies with a similar business model that they cannot continue to operate in the same way

Business Secretary acknowledges that refusing services or employment to anyone who is not vaccinated against Covid-19 raises discrimination and other legal issues

Letter to Select Committee also confirms that a review of Covid-status certification has opened to consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational issues of using certification

Policies aimed at addressing the gender pay gap must consider role of social norms and maternity and paternity policies

New report from the IFS finds that increased gender differences following parenthood are not merely the exacerbation of career differences that existed before childbirth