Key developments

The National Minimum Wage

New national minimum wage (NMW) rates came into force on 1 October 2015:

• Standard adult rate – £6.70
• Development rate – £5.30
• Young workers rate – £3.87
• Apprenticeship rate – £3.30
• Accommodation offset limit – £5.35

As part of the July 2015 Budget, the Government announced that it would introduce a premium, over and above the NMW, for workers aged 25 and over. This will be known as the National Living Wage (NLW). The Government will set the first premium in April 2016 at 50p, which will increase the total NLW to £7.20. We understand that the NLW will be implemented through the NMW Regulations, in the same manner as the NMW uprating in October 2015.

Modern Slavery Act 2015

The requirement for large businesses (who supply goods or services and have a minimum total turnover of £36 million per year) to publish a slavery and human trafficking statement each year, setting out the action they have taken to ensure their supply chains are slavery free, is in force.

The Deregulation Act 2015

The Deregulation Act 2015 will introduce the following changes:

• The power of employment tribunals to make wider recommendations in successful discrimination cases is now removed.

• The right for Sikhs to wear a turban instead of a safety helmet is expanded to almost all workplaces in Great Britain. There is however still limited exceptions for specific roles in the military and emergency services.

Please contact the Employment team on 0121 200 3242.

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