The rates applicable to employment law change every April and 2022 is no exception. The increases are made under the provisions of the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2022 to reflect the increases in the retail price index.
The following increases are due to take place in April 2022 –
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National minimum wage rates will change on 1 April
– £8.91 to £9.50 for workers aged 23 and over
– £8.36 to £9.18 for workers aged 21 or 22
– £6.56 to £6.83 for workers aged 18 to 20
– £4.62 to £4.81 for workers aged under 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age
– £4.30 to £4.81 for apprentices under 19 or over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship
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Statutory family-related pay will change on 3 April
-The rate of statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, and parental bereavement pay will increase from £151.97 to £156.66
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Sick pay will change on 6 April
-The rate will change from £96.35 to £99.35
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Temporary right to work checks guidance will change on 6 April
– On 30 March 2020 temporary guidance on right to work checks were put in place, this allowed employers to conduct checks without seeing an employee face to face (for example via video and scans/photos of original documents were accepted)
– However, this temporary measure is coming to an end of 5 April 2022 and employers should look for new guidance
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Statutory redundancy pay calculations will change on 6 April
– The maximum amount will change from £544 to £571
Comment
The increases are significantly higher than in previous years with the retail price index being 4.9% compared to 1.9% in 2021 and 2.4% in 2020. This means that the cost of employment is increasing and so employers should ensure that they prepare themselves and their employees for the changes.
How can we help
Kate Frisby is a Trainee Solicitor at Nelsons.
For advice on or further information in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, please contact Kate or a member of our expert Employment Law team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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