UK Pensions: Act now to avoid reduction in the lifetime allowance of tax free pension benefits

From 6 April 2012 the lifetime allowance will be reduced by £300,000 to £1.5 million. Pension benefits in excess of the lifetime allowance will be taxed at 55%. Now is the time to consider ‘fixed protection’. […]

Read More… from UK Pensions: Act now to avoid reduction in the lifetime allowance of tax free pension benefits

Increase of qualifying period for unfair dismissal and introduction of Tribunal fees to “increase competitiveness”

On 3 October 2011 it was announced that the length of the unfair dismissal qualifying period would increase to 2 years and that fees would be introduced for bringing Employment Tribunal claims. […]

Read More… from Increase of qualifying period for unfair dismissal and introduction of Tribunal fees to “increase competitiveness”

Are your partners and LLP members really employees? Court raises spectre of employee liabilities

The Employment Tribunal found that an individual who had been a member of an LLP (paying tax and NI as a self employed person) should have been regarded as an employee. The individual in question was originally an employee who later entered into an arrangement where he received a fixed profit share (instead of a salary) and a variable profit share (instead of a bonus). […]

Read More… from Are your partners and LLP members really employees? Court raises spectre of employee liabilities

Carrying forward holiday entitlement accrued while on sick leave

The Employment Appeal Tribunal recently held that employees who accrue holidays during a period of sick leave will carry forward any untaken holiday entitlement to future holiday years automatically. It is not necessary for them to have formally notified an intention to take holiday. […]

Read More… from Carrying forward holiday entitlement accrued while on sick leave

Challenging the status of self-employed contractors

The Supreme Court has restated that the label that the parties apply to a work contract is not determinative of the worker’s status if it does not reflect the reality. The Court went on to say that a tribunal/court can disregard any express terms which do not reflect the actual intentions of the parties, even where there is no attempt to mislead. […]

Read More… from Challenging the status of self-employed contractors