Newsflash: Government guidance on 1) HMRC checks and 2) Recognising potential

1. HMRC National Minimum Wage factsheet

HM Revenue and Customs has published a factsheet, available here, to give guidance to employers about the checks that HMRC carry out to make sure that employers are paying workers at least the national minimum wage.

Just as a reminder, a new mandatory National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour will be introduced from April 2016 for workers aged 25 or over. The National Minimum Wage will continue to apply to other workers (current rate (until September 2016) is £6.70 per hour for 21 – 25 year olds, £5.30 per hour for 18-20 year olds:£3.87 an hour for 16-17 year olds and £3.30 per hour for apprentices.

2. “See Potential” case studies and guidance

The Department for Work and Pensions has published “See Potential” case studies and guidance, available here, for employers to recognise the potential within people regardless of their background.

The aim is to encourage employers to realise the business benefits of recruiting people who are long-term unemployed, ex-offenders, rehabilitating drug or alcohol addicts, care leavers, homeless and those at risk of homelessness.