Age Discrimination In The Workplace

As school leavers and graduates compete with an aging population who need or want to work longer, there is an increasing risk to employers of employees bringing claims against them for age discrimination where they believe their career prospects have been adversely affected by how old they are. In this article, Gillian Reid, employment lawyer at Ware & Kay in York, Wetherby & Malton , outlines the main provisions of the law on age discrimination, contained in the Equality Act 2010, and explains the steps you, as an employer, can take to avoid falling foul of the rules. Discrimination in recruitment Job applicants are protected from age discrimination. Before publishing a job advert, you need to look carefully at the language you intend to use to check whether it might put off a potential candidate…

Ready To Invest Here Is How To Get Started

If you're looking to get a better return from your money than you can from your bank account, then the time might be right to think about investing for the future. Before you begin, here are some golden rules to consider. HOLD SOME CASH You'll need to have ready access to a cash fund to cover everyday living expenses and unforeseen expenditure. Obviously, there's no point rushing into investment if you've got substantial debts or if you know you're going to have to make major financial commitments that will take up all your spare cash. A vital part of your financial planning must be providing adequately for retirement, not least because of the tax breaks available on pension contributions. DEFINE YOUR GOALS You need to be clear why you're investing and what your goals are…

Autumn 2016 Employment Law Update

This is a round-up of the main employment law changes that have recently come into effect, including those taking place from Autumn 2016.  Gillian Reid, Head of Employment at Ware & Kay Solicitors in York & Wetherby, outlines the main changes and the action you need to take as a result. National minimum wage rises The national minimum wage is reviewed every year and traditionally any increases come into force in the autumn.  The new hourly rates from 1 October 2016 are: adult rate (21 to 24): £6.95; youth development rate (18 to 20): £5.55; young workers' rate (16 and 17): £4.00; and apprentice rate: £3.40.   It is understood that these rate changes will only apply for six months because the government has decided to align all further changes with the national…

Increased Tax Free Savings Opportunity

From the beginning of the 2017/18 tax year the amount that individuals are able to save into ISAs will increase from £15,240.00 to £20,000.00, an increase that was originally mentioned by George Osborne in the March 2016 Budget as a way "to further help savers at a time of unprecedentedly low interest rates". With interest rates so low what is the benefit of saving money into an ISA? Put simply, if you have to give less money to the taxman then you have more money to do with what you want, an ISA is one of the simplest ways to do this. In the current climate it is more important than ever for you to be able to benefit from any growth that your savings make. In addition to their tax free status, cash ISAs also…