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By Laura Knowles
April is a big month for employers and in particular Payroll and HR. Many of the changes are related to statutory increases so if you pay these to your employees they need to be updated to the new rates.
It is important to remember that it’s not just statutory minimum wages that need increasing, but also the statutory payments for leave such as Shared Parental Leave, Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Pay, as well as Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay which is now also effective in Northern Ireland from 6 April 2022.
It’s a good idea to ensure you check all your policies which may state the statutory payment amounts and ensure you update them in April each year.
For clarity the increases can all be found on the gov website, as well as details surrounding the increases to sick pay which also took effect this month.
Whilst we are on the point of sick pay changes, it is worth noting that from this month onwards there is no need for ‘fit notes’ to be signed by a GP, this means that they can be completed digitally and sent electronically which should make the process of obtaining ‘fit notes’ much more efficient. Signed ‘fit notes’ are still currently available, but they will shortly be phased out.
There are plenty of other potential changes afoot for 2022 so we encourage employers to keep track of any updates within employment law, in particular we are expecting changes to flexible working which the government has been consulting on at the end of 2021. This could see changes to when someone can make a request for flexible working, how long an employer has to respond and how many requests an employee can make.
If you would like support with any of these changes, whether it be renewing your existing policies, or creating new ones please get in touch with us here at Second Chapter HR.
About Laura Knowles
Laura is currently HR Business Partner at Second Chapter where she advises clients on a range of HR matters including performance management, disciplinary and grievance, attendance management, flexible working, and employee engagement. With a HR career spanning more than a decade, she has worked for A4E, Cambion Electronics, BresMed Health Solutions and Kirklees Council. Laura lives in Sheffield with her husband, two daughters and their two cats.