IR35 rules governing ‘off-payroll’ working will now be extended to the private sector from April 2020, the chancellor announced in his budget, which will affect businesses in how they pay contractors and freelance workers. The IR35 regime was introduced to the public sector in 2017 and has meant employers are responsible for deciding whether to deduct tax and national insurance (NI) from workers, as well as making employer national insurance contributions. Philip Hammond has now extended the rules to private sector workers. He said the mo... Continue reading

From April 2019, large businesses will be able to invest up to 25% of their apprenticeship levy to support apprentices in their supply chain, the Budget 2018 announced. Some employers will pay half of what they currently pay for apprenticeship training – from 10% to 5%. The government will pay the remaining 95%. Further details on when this will be available will be announced in early 2019. Commenting on the Apprenticeship Levy just after its one-year anniversary, HR Consultant for International Workplace, Terry Hayward said: “You could ... Continue reading

A motor industry employee has been sentenced to six months in prison in the first prosecution to be brought by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under legislation that carries a potential prison sentence. Mustafa Kasim, who worked for accident repair firm Nationwide Accident Repair Services (NARS), accessed thousands of customer records containing personal data without permission, using his colleagues’ log-in details to access a software system that estimates the cost of vehicle repairs, known as Audatex. He continued to do this... Continue reading

Burtt-Jones & Brewer, the workplace design consultancy, is offering £10,000 of its time to a nominated charity, to celebrate ten years of success. Having begun over a cup of coffee in 2008, the design agency has experienced a decade of design, development and delivery - from Moorgate to Milan, banks to brand agencies, lawyers to lottery operators, insurers to investors, the Bank of England to The Treasury. To celebrate, the team would like to offer a charity the opportunity to work with them and have ten thousand pounds worth of their time t... Continue reading

Thousands of drivers are struggling to pay their rent and feed their families as Uber’s Court of Appeal hearing takes place. Two years on from GMB’s historic win against Uber, each driver is estimated to be an average of £18,000 out of pocket over that two-year period because the company still refuses to accept the judgement of the courts. On 28 October 2016 the Central London Employment Tribunal ruled that Uber drivers were entitled to receive holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and had an entitlement to rest breaks. Rather than a... Continue reading