What’s in store in employment in 2019?

We predict what is likely to make headlines in the coming New Year below:

Increase in National Minimum Wage

The 2018 Budget announced an increase in both the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) in April 2019. Under the new NLW, the minimum hourly rate that workers aged 25 and over are entitled to will increase from £7.83 to £8.21. At the same time, the NMW rate for workers aged between 21-24 will increase from £7.38 to £7.70 an hour; the rate for 18-20-year-olds will increase from £5.90 to £6.15 an hour and those over compulsory school age but not yet 18 will experience an hourly increase from £4.20 to £4.35.

Settled status for EU nationals

Any European workers currently living in the UK will be able to apply for settled status in 2019 which will grant them access to indefinitely remain after the end of Brexit’s transition period. Those who are eligible must give evidence that they have been living in the UK for five years by the time that they send the application.

Payslips

On April 6 2019, changes to the ways that employers issue payslips will come into force. Employers will also be obliged to include the total number of hours worked on payslips for employees whose wages vary depending on how much time they have worked.

NMW for sleep–ins

Following an earlier Court of Appeal Decision, a ‘precedent’ was launched that workers on sleep-in shifts such nurses wouldn’t be eligible for NMW for time spent sleeping when they weren’t actually working. And, the Supreme Court by Unison is expected to deliver a ruling on a previous case next year which will help shed some light on the rights of sleep-in shift workers.

Gender Pay Gap Reporting

Organisations with 250 or more employees will be obligated to publish their gender pay gap reporting figures by April 4 2019 like last year.

CEO pay gap reporting

In 2019, new legislation will come into play that requires companies with over 250 employees to publish executive pay gaps. This aims to highlight pay discrepancies in the same was as gender pay reporting.

Non–disclosure agreement

Another expected response in 2019 is relative to the use of non-disclosure agreements in the workplace. These agreements were instilled to protect “intellectual property when employees moved from one company to another”. However recent news coverage has highlighted that these agreements are frequently used to silence harassment and bullying claims.

Supermarket Equal pay claims

Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda which are fighting for equal pay for female shop workers who feel unequally paid to male counterparts. In 2019, the issue of equal pay may gain more clarity and is likely to encourage more employees to come forward.