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Joanna D'Cruz

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In mid-October 2022, Parliament has debated, for the first time, a proposal to implement a four-day working week in the UK. The bill, proposed by Labour, would reduce maximum working hours per week to 32 with no corresponding reduction in pay. Whilst it is unlikely that the bill will get very far (it is not supported by the government), it marks an interesting development in the case for a four-day working week, which is continuing to gain momentum.

In the UK, this increasing momentum is currently focused on a major six-month trial run by 4 Day Week Global involving over 3,000 employees across 70 organisations. The trial involves employees working 80% of their contractual hours for 100% pay with the expectation of achieving 100% productivity. Whilst the trial isn’t due to end until December 2022, the mid-term reported results are positive, with the majority of the companies which responded to the interim survey saying it worked for their businesses and 86% saying they planned to continue with a four-day working week after the trial.…

Continue Reading Is a four-day working week the future for UK employers?

With 6 April 2021 quickly approaching, the IR35 reforms are now back on the agenda and fast becoming a priority. Affected businesses need to have their implementation process in place before the IR35 reforms take effect.

IR35 is designed to ensure that appropriate income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) are paid by contractors who provide their services through an intermediary company. In a nutshell, the IR35 rules bite where, but for that intermediary company, the individual contractor would be deemed an employee of the client. The IR35 reforms are important as they require medium and large businesses to carry out status determinations to assess whether IR35 applies. Where they conclude that IR35 applies (i.e. that there is deemed employment), the IR35 reforms shift responsibility to the client for making tax and NICs deductions through PAYE.…

Continue Reading IR35 changes – Are you ready?