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What can we learn from unfair dismissal cases of 2021?

March 7, 2022 1:27 pm Published by

In reviewing case law from 2021 there are a number of useful reminders:– In the case of Jaguar vs Rumbold, Mr Rumbold had worked for Jaguar for over 20 years, but had missed 808 shifts during that time, costing the company approximately £95,000 in sick pay. He was dismissed in 2018 but successfully claimed unfair dismissal because his employer, Jaguar Landrover Limited, failed to follow its own absence management procedures. They left it so long before deciding to dismiss him that the Tribunal did not consider dismissal a ‘reasonable response’. What we learn from this case is that disciplinary action should be proportionate – in cases of gross misconduct, dismissal may be a clear outcome, but where misconduct has been tolerated for a...

National Insurance increases can be offset by pension contributions

March 7, 2022 1:25 pm Published by

From April 2022, employees and employers will face a National Insurance (NI) rise of 1.25 per cent. From 2023, the tax will be renamed as a health and social care tax, to pay for the social care system. However the figure of 1.25 per cent is deceptive, because the actual increase employees and employers will have to shoulder is more like 2.5 per cent. Employees will see a greater reduction in their salary, and employers will face higher NI costs.  You can, however, mitigate against these NI rises to benefit both employer and employee. Assuming you have a workplace pension in place, through salary sacrifice, where an employee agrees to reduce their gross earnings by the same amount as their pension contributions, in exchange, you...

SSP Rebate Scheme for covid-related absences to end

March 7, 2022 1:19 pm Published by

The Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will close on 17‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022. You will no longer be able to claim back Statutory Sick Pay for your employees’ coronavirus-related absences or self-isolation that occur after ‌17‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022.  You have until 24‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022 to submit any new claims for absence periods up to 17‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022, or to amend claims you have already submitted. After that, there is a return to the normal SSP rules, which means you should revert to paying SSP from the fourth qualifying day your employee is off work regardless of the reason for their sickness absence.