Search Results for: ','
Search Filters
- 566 results found
- All (676)
- Insights (566)
- News (89)
- Others (9)
- Lawyers (5)
- Services (4)
- Events (3)
-
How to deal with a civil penalty notice for illegal working
03 July 2023The Home Office is currently focusing on identifying and penalising illegal working. Where illegal working is found, an employer may be liable to pay civil penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker, and may also suffer adverse consequences for their business. It is therefore beneficial for employers to understand how to deal most effectively with a civil penalty if received.
-
UK Government announces significant immigration fee rises
17 July 2023On 13 July 2023, the Government confirmed a raft of immigration fee rises which will place a significant additional cost burden on sponsors and individuals. Although the implementation date has not been announced yet, employers should consider making visa applications early where possible and reviewing budgets and policies for their recruitment and HR.
-
Termination of employment
03 August 2023Terminating employment can create several tricky issues for the employer, including claims of wrongful or unfair dismissal. To minimise the likelihood of such claims, and to ensure that the process is managed in the best possible way, it is important that employers are alive to the issues that may arise if a contract of employment is terminated. See also our Inbrief on Settlement agreements, which looks at the most common means for employers and employees to settle claims and/or effect a clean break from the employment relationship.
-
Illegal working civil penalties set to triple from 2024
08 August 2023From the start of 2024, the maximum civil penalty for employing an illegal worker will be raised from £20,000 to £60,000. The Home Office also intends to consult on strengthening sponsor compliance action where illegal working is found. Employers should act now to bolster their right to work checking processes to minimise the risk of incurring penalties and being subject to sponsor compliance action.
-
National Security And Investment Act 2021
01 September 2023The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (“NSI Act”) provides the UK government with new powers to scrutinise investments on national security grounds. The regime set out in the NSI Act came into force on 4 January 2022.
-
UK immigration fee rises from 4 October 2023
18 September 2023The UK Government has confirmed substantial immigration fee rises will apply from 9:00 am on 4 October 2023. The fee for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has also been set at £10. In this article we focus on what these changes mean for employers.
-
Migration Advisory Committee recommends sweeping changes to Shortage Occupation List
12 October 2023The Migration Advisory Committee MAC released its full review of the Shortage Occupation List for the Skilled Worker route on 3 October 2023. Key recommendations include the abolition of the shortage list and to allow asylum-seekers with the right to work to occupy any job.
-
Big Immigration Health Surcharge increase for Q1 2024
24 October 2023The Immigration Health Surcharge will increase from 16 January 2024 at the earliest. The new yearly rate for most affected applicants will jump from £624 to £1,035. Employers and affected applicants should consider applying ahead of the rise where possible.
-
UK immigration policies announced to lower net migration
05 December 2023On 4 December 2023 the UK Government announced a ‘five point plan’ to lower net migration, following on from recent high net migration figures. These include raising the general threshold for Skilled Worker visas, abolishing the salary discount for shortage occupation roles and prohibiting care workers from bringing dependants.
-
Virtual Christmas card tree planting initiative
06 December 2023Instead of printing and posting Christmas cards every year, we have chosen to email virtual cards and plant trees.
-
New Immigration Rules expand activities allowed for visitors
12 December 2023On 7 December 2023 the Home Office published new Immigration Rules. These expand the range of activities visitors are allowed to do in the UK from 31 January 2024, including remote work, research, provision of legal services and paid engagements. The Youth Mobility Scheme is also amended to include citizens of Uruguay and to restructure the arrangements for Japanese and South Korean citizens.
-
UK government issues further details on net migration reduction policy
02 January 2024The main new detail for employers to note is that occupation-related going rates of pay will be increased alongside the general salary thresholds. There will be transitional arrangements for Skilled Workers, however users of the system will be required to pay more in salaries and other immigration-related costs throughout the period of sponsorship. Senior carers and carers will be prohibited from bringing dependants from the new year, and the increased minimum income requirement under the five-year Partner route will be raised initially to £29,000 instead of £38,700.
-
Equal Pay
10 January 2024Equal pay law first developed in the UK in the 1970s after a campaign by trade unions and women's groups. The principle that men and women who do equal work should receive equal pay is implemented through the Equality Act 2010.
-
Immigration Health Surcharge due to rise imminently
18 January 2024Substantial rises to the Immigration Health Surcharge have now been approved by Parliament to come into effect on 6 February 2024. Individuals hoping to avoid these should submit their UK immigration application by 5 February 2024 to be sure they are not impacted.
-
Illegal working civil penalties due to triple from 13 February 2024
25 January 2024The civil penalty an employer may receive for employing an illegal worker will rise from £20,000 to £60,000. This significantly increases the financial risk to employers of failing to carry out rigorous and compliant right to work checks.
-
Home Office announces timeline for immigration reforms
30 January 2024The Home Office has issued a new statement outlining the launch dates for major reforms to the Skilled Worker and Partner routes. This, along with other recent announcements confirms a packed timeline of immigration reforms due to be made over the next year.
-
UK Migration Advisory Committee to advise on new Immigration Salary List
01 February 2024The Home Office has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to conduct a ‘rapid review’ of which occupations should be initially included on the Immigration Salary List (ISL). This list will replace the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) for the Skilled Worker route from April 2024. Employers experiencing skills shortages should consider submitting evidence to the full ISL review, which is expected to be commissioned shortly.
-
Five top tips for using biometric data in the workplace
08 February 2024As we become more accustomed to using our faces or fingerprints to unlock devices in our everyday life, it’s not surprising that UK employers are considering using biometric systems in the workplace. However, employers need to address the significant challenges involved with using biometric data.
-
Gender identity data in the workplace
08 February 2024Safeguarding all personal data not only upholds data subjects’ rights but also cements trust and good employee relations. Special category data must be treated with more protection because it is sensitive, but information about gender does not automatically fall into this category and in many cases will fall into a data-lacuna. A recent case reminds us that employers nonetheless need to take great care with gender identity data.
-
UK Migration Advisory Committee reports on new Immigration Salary List
29 February 2024Only 21 occupations are recommended for inclusion on the new Immigration Salary List (ISL), which will replace the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) for the Skilled Worker route from 4 April 2024. Employers may find that this, combined with the increased minimum salary thresholds will significantly reduce the size of the eligible talent pool for sponsorship of overseas workers.