Employment Law Changes To Be Aware Of In 2019
With the new year will come some changes to employment law. As a business owner it’s vital that you keep up to date with these new regulations that are coming in.
Onrec recently highlighted ten that you should watch out for in particular. Among them is the rise in the national minimum wage and national living wage. Both are set to increase from April 2019. The former will see increases across all the age brackets it applies to.
For those aged 21 to 24, it will climb to £7.70 per hour, while for 18 to 20 year olds it will increase to £6.15 per hour. Those who are of compulsory school age but not yet 18 will also see their hourly rate increase to £4.25.
The national living wage, meanwhile, which is for those over 25 years old, will go up to £8.21 per hour.
Another cost to bear in mind is that of auto-enrolment pensions. The level of contributions made by the employer and employee is set to increase to a minimum of three per cent and five per cent respectively.
You should also keep an eye on how the use of non-disclosure agreements may change. The government ordered a review of the agreements, in the wake of scandals where they were used to prevent people reporting bullying or harassment. The outcome of this review is expected next year.
Research released by Acas last month found that 58 per cent of workers believe their current employer is doing enough to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace, while 46 per cent said that making changes to the wider company culture would help prevent such incidents.
If you’re unsure about any area of employment law, make sure you consult employment solicitors for advice.