PeopleTalk – October 2011

Welcome

HR Specialist

October is implementation month – The Government implements employment legislation changes twice a year, so this month has seen new National Minimum Wage rates, the introduction of the Agency Worker Regulations and the final stage of the abolition of the Default Retirement Age. It is also time to start checking people have taken their annual leave or have it booked so they don’t carry it over or loose it; it is time to start planning Christmas parties, Christmas cover or shutdown.

In this issue of Peopletalk, we will bring you up to date on legislation changes and share a great opportunity to meet industry leaders and gain vital business updates to protect your business and drive it forward.

New look DOHR

If you have visited our website in the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed a big change. We have completed the upgrade of www.dohr.co.uk  which is now even easier to navigate, search and find important information to benefit your business.

The new website now includes our blog, which many of you already read and comment on. You will find Client and Partner Area log-ins, up-to-the-second latest tweets and links to join us in conversation on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

We hope you enjoy our new site and that it helps to make your life easier and your workplace a better place to be.

Date for your diary: Wednesday 23rd November: Business Essentials Conference

DOHR is proud to present the first Business Essentials Conference, specifically catering forsmall and medium sized businesses. If there is one event that you should make sure you don’t miss in the final quarter of 2011, it is undoubtedly the Business Essentials Conference. The one-day event takes place at the Holiday Inn Elstree, off the A1 and just a stone’s throw from the M25.

This one day conference will be highly educational, interactive and practical, providing you with a one-stop-shop for key business information in areas such as HR, Pensions, Recruitment, Health & Safety and The Environment. All sessions are aimed at saving you money, protecting your business and ensuring your compliance with legislation.

As well as Donna Obstfeld from DOHR, speakers include Andrew Hart from Serenity Financial Planning, Rachel Bradman from Naked Recruitment and Richard Blight and Helen Marini from Westminster Compliance.

In addition to hearing from industry experts, you will benefit from cost saving best practice ideas, meet other business owners grappling with the same issues, network with potential new clients and meet sponsors and exhibitors in our local business exhibition area. Please visit www.businessessentialsconference.co.uk for more information about this DOHR sponsored event and to book your ticket. Alternatively, email [email protected] for further information. Book today to take advantage of a 25% early bird discount which expires on 31st October.

Agency Workers Act

The Agency Workers Act came into effect on 1st October 2011. If you employ temporary staff from an agency, you need to be aware of your new legal obligations and plan for their impact and implications for your business.

  • – From day one temporary staff employed through an agency must have access to your company facilities such as parking, crèche or canteen facilities.
  • – After 12 weeks in the same job, the agency worker is entitled to the same pay, annual leave and working conditions as comparative permanent staff.
  • – All employers must ensure they have a documented policy which is communicated to managers. Employers will need to take decisions about how best to resource their staffing shortages and this is in terms of skills as well as financial and resource commitment.

National Minimum Wage

The new National Minimum Wages took effect as of 1st October 2011. As per previous years, there are different rates for different types of workers:

 

Age

 

 

Hourly Rate

 

 

Annual Salary per hours per week

 

 

 

 

 

 

35

 

 

37.5

 

 

40

 

 

45

 

 

48

 

Apprentices

£2.60

£4,732.00

£5,070.00

£5,408.00

£6,084.00

£6,489.60

16 – 17 years

£3.68

£6,697.60

£7,176.00

£7,654.40

£8,611.20

£9,185.28

18 – 20 years

£4.98

£9,063.60

£9,711.00

£10,358.40

£11,653.20

£12,430.08

21 years +

£6.08

£11,065.60

£11,856.00

£12,646.40

£14,227.20

£15,175.68

 

 

 

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