What are the current Maternity Pay and Leave rules?

So, we are going to talk here about Statutory Maternity benefits, however you can offer additional maternity benefits in your Contracts of employment, so please ensure that you have checked your documents.

Current (December 2020)  Statutory Maternity Benefits are :

• 26 week of Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave (total of 52 weeks)

• Statutory Maternity Pay is paid for 39 weeks and is either 90% of average weekly earnings or £151.20 p.w.

Your employees are not obliged to take the entire Maternity Leave, but must take at least 2 weeks (4 weeks for factory workers).

Filled Under: Pay Posted on: 2nd November 2020

When do I pay my staff sick pay?

So, the first thing you need to know about sick pay is when you pay it, how much you pay and for how long and this will depend on your Contracts of Employment. We are going to talk here about Statutory Sick Pay, however you may have different sick pay clauses in your Contracts and you are obliged to meet these obligations. 

So, if your contract states that you will pay Statutory Sick Pay then the following applies:

• You pay SSP once your employee has been off work for 4 consecutive days (the first three days are unpaid)

• The current rate of SSP is £95.85 per week (December 2020)

• SSP is payable for a maximum of 28 weeks

Filled Under: Pay Posted on: 2nd November 2020

Do I still have to pay my staff if they can’t get to work due to bad weather

You do not have to pay your staff if they fail to attend work or if they are late due to bad weather. The fact that their absence is not their fault does not mean that you have to pay them. You only have to pay your staff if they are ready, willing and able for work. However you do need to be sure that there is no provision in their contract of employment regarding this.

This is the letter of the law, however you may wish to consider making provision for your staff if they have problems with public transport or child care. There may be options in adjusting their working hours or allowing them to work from home.

Filled Under: Pay Posted on: 25th August 2020

What is the current National minimum wage?

The National Minimum wage is updated each year in April. It is also subject to the employee’s age and employment status.

The current National Minimum Wage rates are as follows

Employees aged 16-17 £4.55 per hour
Employees aged 18-20 £6.45 per hour
Employees aged 21-24 £8.20 per hour

If your employee is aged 25 and over then the National Living Wage applies, this is currently £8.72 per hour.

If your employee is an apprentice either under the age of 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship then the National Minimum Wage is £4.15 per hour.

Also an Accommodation Offset can be applied if you provide housing as part of the job, the current rate is £8.20 per day

Filled Under: Pay Posted on: 5th May 2020