Don't forget to check your salaries

I can't believe it's almost 3 months since I last blogged - where does the time go!?

Not having time to blog because you are too busy getting on with the day job is a good problem to have so here at KMC HR we are not complaining.  We promise to try and get back on track with regular communication from now.

So, to update you on legislation that came into effect on 1 October 2012.  The National Minimum Wage is now as follows:

• The main rate for workers aged 21 and over increased to £6.19
• The rate for 18-20 year olds remains at £4.98
• The rate for 16-17 year olds remains at £3.68
• The rate for apprentices under 19 years, or over 19 years but in their first year of apprenticeship, increased to £2.65

Don't forget to check your salaries to ensure you are complying with legislation.  Also, it is good practice to diarise relevant dates of birth so you don't forget when someone crosses over from one age group to another.

Anyone for Tennis .........?

........... or football, or cycling, or motor racing - the summer weather may not be playing ball but we have certainly been spoilt for choice when it comes to summer sporting events.

I'm not particularly a follower of Wimbledon, nor have I been a fan of Andy Murray, but all that has changed since being on the edge of my seat throughout the men's final yesterday between Andy and Roger Federer.

'Charming, articulate and gracious' - that was how one commentator described Murray at the end of the match.  I couldn't agree more.  A more mature Andy Murray played a superb game and was a very worthy opponent of the, now, 7 times champion Roger Federer.  He may have been beaten but Andy Murray should hold his head high following his performance yesterday.  It was magnificent and I, for one, look forward to seeing what he can achieve at next year's event.

Having become a Wimbledon convert I may be one of those people who need to book time off work in order to stay glued to the TV.  Alternatively I could ask myself for flexible working arrangements during key matches, or for them to be screened during working hours.  I think I'll send myself a memo!

Well done Andy.

Count down to London 2012

The famous Olympic torch is alight and has started it's journey. 

From 19 May 2012, 8,000 torchbearers will carry the torch through more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages across the UK, a journey that will take 70 days to complete.  The torch ends its journey as the last Torchbearer lights the Cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012, marking the official start of the Games. The Flame stays lit until the Closing Ceremony on 12 August 2012 when it will be put out to signify the end of the Games.

So the countdown to London 2012 has begun in earnest but what does this mean for your business?  Have you given any thought to the potential disruption the Games may cause?  "We're not in London" I hear you say.  You may not be, but what about your employees who want to watch the Games, or who have volunteered to be helpers there?  If your company delivers products in and around the London area, have you thought about increasing travel times to allow for traffic congestion? 

In short, have you implemented an Olympic Games Policy?  As business owners you may not have thought about this but your HR adviser/s should have.

As with all major sporting events there is likely to be disruption to businesses across the UK.  The key is to have a clear message on how you are approaching this. 

And don't forget, once the Games finish on 12 August 2012, the build-up will commence for the Paralympics which take place from 29 August to 9 September 2012.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, it's not my birthday just yet, but we are celebrating a birthday at KMC HR Consulting.  We are starting our 3rd year in business and, I'm delighted to say, going from strength to strength. 

Some people thought I was mad setting up my own business at the height of a recession, and I confess it was very scary!  Leaving the security of a well paid job with a highly reputable firm was a big step but I can honestly say I haven't looked back.

Having joined some very effective networking groups, our name is becoming more widely known in the market and we have received some great referrals which have resulted in loyal clients.  Thanks to our fabulous Web designers, we are also getting more work via the Internet than ever before.

So I thank my clients, some of whom have been with me from the outset, others who are more recent additions to our client base and, of course, my former employer who is also a client.  Without you we wouldn't be celebrating our birthday. 

As Easter and our birthday celebrations fade into the distance and we get on with the important job of making sure our clients get professional, reliable, cost-effective HR advice which is tailored to their needs, I will think to myself again how much I love my job.

Increase in pay rates - a reminder for your diary!

The annual increase in statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay comes into effect on 1 April 2012 so you need to make sure you're ready and your payroll systems are updated accordingly.  The rate increases from £128.73 to £135.45 per week.

Statutory sick pay goes up, on 6 April 2012, from £81.60 to £85.85 per week.

You should also be preparing for the changes to national insurance and income tax rates for 2012/13, which come into force on 6 April 2012. 

Employers may also wish to note 21 March in their diaries, when Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his 2012 Budget.

Love is in the air!

Well it's Valentine's Day and love is in the air.  But a survey commissioned by XpertHR, based on responses from HR professionals at 200 UK organisations, indicates that a third of employers say they have prohibited relationships between managers and subordinates and one-in-six employers have prohibited relationships between employees and customers.

Interestingly, the survey found that more than two-thirds of employers do not have a policy in place to deal with workplace relationships. Among those that have no policy, the most common approach is to cover it within broader policies, such as those on conduct or ethics.

Respondents to the survey gave some insight into the type of action taken when relationships develop in the workplace. Most commonly employees are asked to inform line managers or HR departments when notifying the company of a workplace relationship.

Respondents also said they embarked on informal discussions with HR or line managers, while on a more negative note, some said that they monitor colleagues in relationships "for problematic behaviour".

But all is not lost on this Valentine's Day, some employers said they support workplace relationships and the most common response from those surveyed was to take no action at all on learning of relationships between colleagues.  As many people meet their future spouses in the workplace, let's hope that employers take a sensible approach to such developments.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Are footballers above the law?

Employment law that is!

I can't be the only person who watched with disgust as Luis Suarez deliberately snubbed Patrice Evra by refusing to shake his hand ahead of the game at Old Trafford last Saturday.  I'm not a football supporter and was not aware of the eight match ban that Suarez had already served for racially abusing Patrice Evra last October but I was watching the news and my hackles were raised by the simple lack of common decency displayed by Suarez, so I started to take an interest.

Employment law covers issues of bullying, harassment and racism for a reason.  These players were doing their job, and are employed by the football clubs, so surely action should be taken to resolve this issue!?

I was pleased to see that both Suarez and the football club issued apologies the following day.  Call me cynical but I suspect this was only as a result of media coverage and public opinion, rather than a genuine apology.  If I was in Patrice Evra's football boots I would be thinking 'too little, too late'!

Check it out !

I'm very excited to have launched my first e-newsletter and my revamped website is now live.  If you haven't already looked at the website please check it out.

If you weren't on the distribution list for my e-newsletter and would like a copy, please let me know.  The newsletter is designed to keep my clients and followers up-to-date with things that are happening in HR and employment legislation which have an impact on all those running a business.  We're all in danger of getting 'information overload' so the newsletter is short, snappy and without jargon.  It's completely free and may just provide you with some surprising and interesting information.

My thanks, as always, go to Neil Priddey the brilliant creative director at CFH Design who put up with me during the website revamp and has made sure all my communications are properly branded.  I'd be lost without you! 

Could this see the end of spurious Employment Tribunal claims?

The Government has outlined two options for the introduction of fees in order to take a claim to an Employment Tribunal.

Option one is that an initial fee of between £150 and £250 will need to be lodged for a claimant to bring a claim, with an additional fee of between £250 and £1,250 if the claim goes to a hearing, with no limit to the maximum award a tribunal could grant. Option two is a single fee of between £200 and £600, but this would limit the maximum award to £30,000, with an option of an additional fee of £1,750 for those who are looking for awards above this limit.

In both of the above options, the tribunal would have the power to order the unsuccessful party to reimburse fees paid by the successful party.

Published statistics show that there were 218,100 claims via the employment tribunal system in 2010-11, an increase of 44% on the year 2008-09. The estimated cost to the tax payer rose from £77.8 million to £84 million over the same period.

Justice Minister, Jonathan Djanolgly, said “Currently, the UK taxpayer bears the entire £84 million cost per year of resolving other people’s employment disputes at tribunals. This is not sustainable. We believe that people should pay a fair amount towards the cost of their case. Fee waivers will be available for people on low incomes to protect access to justice. Our proposed fees will encourage businesses and workers to settle problems earlier, through non-tribunal routes like conciliation or mediation and we want to give businesses, particularly small businesses, the confidence to create new jobs without fear of being dragged into unnecessary actions”.

The consultation will continue until March 2012. If approved, the intention will be to introduce fees no earlier than 2013-14.

I, for one, hope the introduction of fees will act as a deterrent to those who decide to 'chance their arm' and bring a claim unnecessarily.

Happy New Year - Are you ready for the forthcoming changes in Employment Legislation?

Well, it's the start of another year and, as always, things don't stand still when it comes to HR matters.  Important new employment legislation has already been announced and I will be updating you on various topics in the coming days.

Let's start with one of the most significant changes, which will come into force on 6 April 2012.  The qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection will increase from one year to two.  The Government has said this is intended to "provide more time for employers and employees to resolve difficulties, give employers greater confidence in taking on people and ease the burden on the employment tribunal process".

Don't get complacent though.  This is certainly not a green light for employers to avoid adopting best practice when it comes to their staff and HR matters.  And don't forget, certain criteria are protected from day one of employment so make sure you are getting correct advice. 

Employers get the best out of their staff by treating them properly, investing in their careers and encouraging teamwork.  Do you want to be an employer of choice in 2012?  Then it's time to engage with your workforce.