The Department for Work and Pensions has published its annual rate increases for 2024/2025. These changes will take effect in April 2024.  The rate for statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and parental bereavement pay will increase to £184.03 per week (previously £172.48). The rate for statutory sick pay will increase to £116.75 per week (previously £109.40). The annual increase to the minimum wage and national living wage are as follows: Rate from April 2024 Annual increase (£) Annual increase (per cent) National Living Wage £11.44 £1.02 8.9% 18-20 Year Old ..read more

Gender Equality is an important aspect of diversity and inclusion and many companies are taking steps to address imbalances in the gender split of their workforce. However, one aspect of gender equality that is often overlooked is the impact of menopause in the workplace, which is reducing the number of women in the UK workforce as they move towards the latter part of their careers. The menopause is a natural stage of life which affects around half of the population. Menopause at work is covered by certain pieces of legislation to protect employees.  Under the Equality Act 2010, menopause ..read more

As we begin the new year, Proactive people like you are already planning their next moves and considering HR Trends. With 2024 shaping up to be a pivotal year, Ward Williams HR review the HR trends to look out for: The cost-of-living crisis becomes a ‘cost-of-work’ crisis – Many employees who have been working in a remote or hybrid environment will not be used to the financial and energy costs of travelling into an office each day.As more and more employers issue mandates for remote workers to return to the office, employees will have a sharper awareness of what they spend going to work and th ..read more

As we close the chapter on 2023, we consider our goals and resolutions for the year ahead. What HR resolutions could your business set to help you on the right path for a successful and prosperous 2024? 1. Take time – January is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings; look and what you have and what you don’t have, take the time to review what you have in place, and see what needs a refresh. 2. Be committed with your HR practices – far too often problems arise through sheer lack of process. Have everything in place from the get go, relying on policies and procedures after an event won’t do ..read more

Diverse and inclusive organisations are more innovative, more profitable, and more likely to be an employer of choice than their competition. By promoting diversity and inclusion in your workplace, you will find it a lot easier to get your team pulling in the same direction and firing on all cylinders. A truly diverse and inclusive workplace actively promotes diversity and inclusion every day. Here are some ideas on how to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company culture: 1. Give every person a voice Inclusive organisations listen to everyone, no matter where they sit within the comp ..read more

As many as one in seven couples, may have difficulty conceiving. The number could have a huge impact on your people as the reality of the challenge couples and individuals may face are rarely recognised and often misunderstood by employers. As a result, many people suffer in silence. The positive news is following the Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) bill being read in parliament in June, fertility is becoming a more prominent topic in the business world. We encourage you, to create a fertility friendly workplace. Here how we can help you with five steps to achieve this: 1. Clear polici ..read more

As we near the end of the year, Proactive people like you are already planning their next moves and considering HR Trends. With 2023 shaping up to be a pivotal year, Ward Williams HR review the HR trends to look out for: Diversity, Equality, And Inclusion (DEI) – DEI initiatives are one of the biggest trends to focus on with the new hybrid model being implemented globally. These initiatives aim to eliminate discrimination, unfair wages, and many other inequalities that employees face in the workplace. Talking about the company’s DEI efforts in meetings and during onboarding can emphasise the m ..read more

We are looking for two full time HR Administrators to join our Team based in Weybridge, Surrey. We are a HR and Employment Law outsourcing consultancy firm, providing support to a wealth of different clients on an annual retainer and adhoc basis. Additionally, provide internal HR support within the Ward Williams Group of companies. This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing company in a fast-paced environment. You will provide general administrative support to the HR team including inputting information to our HR database, dealing with all external and internal HR documentation relatin ..read more

As we close the chapter on 2022, we consider our goals and resolutions for the year ahead. What HR resolutions could your business set to help you on the right path for a successful and prosperous 2023? 1. Take time – January is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings; look and what you have and what you don’t have, take the time to review what you have in place, and see what needs a refresh. 2. Be committed with your HR practices – far too often problems arise through sheer lack of process. Have everything in place from the get go, relying on policies and procedures after an event won’t do ..read more

The government has published its response to last year’s consultation on updating flexible working laws.  They intend to take forward the following measures, which will require new legislation: the right to request flexible working will become a Day One right (it is currently only available to employees with 26 weeks’ continuity).  The government emphasises in its response that this remains a right to request, not a right to have flexible working.   employees will be allowed to make two requests (previously one request) within a 12 month period, and the response time for employ ..read more