A few weeks ago we reported on a number of changes that were due to come in on 6 April 2020.
Since then, the country’s priorities have changed drastically, with the outbreak of COVID-19.
As a result, the extension of the off-payroll working rules (IR35) to all medium and large businesses has been postponed by a year, to 6 April 2021. The Government is clear that it remains committed to reintroducing the policy, so all preparatory work that employers have carried out will not be vain. And, of course, the postponement will give employers who were still grappling with the new regime extra time to prepare.
And that is not the only announcement we have seen to employment-related timetables. On 24 March 2020 it was announced that employers will not be expected to report their gender pay gap data for this reporting year (2019/20).
There are rumours that the increases to the National Minimum Wage rates due to take effect next month may also be delayed; for the moment, they are just that – rumours. However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a well-respected think tank, has said that it believes there is a case for the April increases to be deferred in the current circumstances. We will be keeping an eye out for any announcement over the next few days that the intended timetable has changed.
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