Autumn statement: What HR needs to know

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt gave his Autumn Statement yesterday (22 November), prioritising reducing national insurance, boosting apprenticeships and getting people back to work.

Minimum wage will rise by almost 10%

The national minimum wage will increase by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour from April 2024.

Vacancies fall as pay growth cools

Vacancies in the UK have continued to fall while pay growth has slowed slightly, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Only half of employers include salary details on all job ads

Only 50% of firms include salary details on all of their job ads, research by XpertHR has found.

Employers pledge to stop asking salary history

Employers including the Samaritans, TripAdvisor and Women in Sport have pledged not to ask candidates about their salary history in order to help address the gender pay gap.

Real living wage increases to £12 in cost of living boost

The Living Wage Foundation’s 'real living wage' has risen to £12 an hour across the UK, a £1.10 increase.

Record pay rises as vacancies down again

Pay was up 7.8%, excluding bonuses, in June to August 2023, while vacancies fell for the 15th consecutive period.

Supreme Court holiday pay ruling makes it easier for employees to reclaim underpayment

Yesterday (4 October) the Supreme Court made a ruling that will make it easier for employees to reclaim unlawful deductions from their holiday pay.

National Living Wage to hit £11: what HR needs to do now

A new National Living Wage of £11 per hour is to be launched in April 2024, giving HR and payroll professionals a number of tasks to complete before the new financial year.

Half of third-sector workers leave for higher pay

Over half (56%) of third-sector employees who have left the voluntary sector have done so in search of higher-paid jobs, research from insurance company Endsleigh has found.

The silent privilege of wellbeing amid the cost of living crisis

Nuffield Health’s 2023 Healthier Nation Index revealed 59% of individuals think the cost of living or a change in personal finances had negatively affected their mental health over the past year.