#payroll

27 02 2024

More than 500 businesses fail to pay minimum wage | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Payrol #bedfordshirebusinesses, #consensus hr, #consensushr, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #minimumwage, #outsourcedemploymentlaw, #payroll, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

More than 500 businesses, including Greggs and Harrods, failed to pay some of their employees the minimum wage, according to a list released by the Department for Business and Trade. The analysis, which covers breaches between 2015 and 2023, shows that recruitment agency Staffline topped the list for failing to pay 36,767 workers correctly, while Estée Lauder failed to pay £894,980 to almost 6,000 workers. The report shows that 524 employers have repaid more than 172,000 workers almost £16m, plus an additional penalty, for breaches in paying the statutory national minimum wage. Kevin Hollinrake, the minister for enterprise, markets and small businesses, said: “Employees deserve to get paid properly for the hard work they put in.” Caroline Harwood, an employer tax partner at BDO, said: “It’s always a bit of a shock to see so many well-known names appearing on HMRC’s list of employers who have been found to be in breach of national minimum wage rules.”

The Times

Our HR comment: – More than 500 businesses fail to pay minimum wage | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This never ceases to amaze me, the amount of companies that fail to pay the minimum wage considering our wages are one of the main things we all work for. However, it can also be easier said than done and hence why, the importance of ensuring yearly salary reviews take place, to give businesses the opportunity to make sure all members of the team are paid adequately.

Generally wage increases happen in April each year and is publicised extensively by the Government so as to ensure that all businesses have the information to make any changes needed. The Government has announced the rates of the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) which will come into force from April 2024. In doing so, it has accepted in full the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission.

The rates which will apply from 1 April 2024 are as follows:

	NMW Rate	Increase in pence	Percentage increase
National Living Wage (21 and over)	£ 11.44	£ 1.02	9.8%
18-20 Year Old Rate	£ 8.60	£ 1.11	14.8%
16-17 Year Old Rate	£ 6.40	£ 1.12	21.2%
Apprentice Rate	£ 6.40	£ 1.12	21.2%
Accommodation Offset	£ 9.99	£ 0.89	9.8%

Gov.Uk

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Retail union calls on Low Pay Commission to be ambitious on minimum wage rates | Consensus HR in Herts & Beds

19 02 2024

Pay settlements set to fall for rest of 2024 | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Payrol #bedfordshirebusiness, #bedfordshirebusinesses, #consensushr, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #payroll, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourced hr, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

According to the latest Labour Market Outlook, produced by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), employers’ basic pay increase expectations over the next 12 months have fallen for the first time since spring 2020.

Having held steady at 5% for more than a year, UK employers expected basic pay increases for the year ahead have fallen to 4%, the CIPD has reported.

Its report also shows that fewer employers expect their workforce to grow than in previous quarters. Overall, a third (33%) of employer’s plan to increase their total staff level over the next three months while 10% plan to decrease their overall staffing levels.

However, many employers (38%) continue to report hard-to-fill vacancies and one in five respondents (21%) expect significant problems filling roles over the next six months.

Senior Labour Market Economist for the CIPD, Jon Boys, said: “We’ve seen a sustained period of high wage growth in response to a tight labour market, and high inflation pushing up the cost-of-living. Pay growth has helped individuals but it leaves employers with a higher wage bill to cover.”

To see a sustained return to growth, he continued, there needs to be a real focus on boosting productivity by investing in workplace skills and technology.

If firms are planning to reduce base pay increases, Mr Boys suggested that it would be in their interest to highlight their wider benefits package and to improve job quality.

The Labour Market Outlook for Winter 2023–24 can be found here.

HRInform – 13^th February 2024

Our HR Comment: – Pay settlements set to fall for rest of 2024 | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This article from the CIPD, our Chartered Institute has some very interesting statistic and emphasises the importance of business ensuring that their recruitment strategy for their business is correct and attracting / retaining the right talent. A Consensus HR, we work with companies to ensure that when they do recruit, they have all the correct tools in place to make it a success such as: Right advertising and marketing, correct recruitment strategy, writing of a Job Description, drafting of an applicable Contract of Employment, which they must have from day one of Employment. Access to a comprehensive HR Employee Handbook and state of the art IT system where they can gain access to all their / companies HR Policies and Procedures and records and book a holiday. Consensus HR help companies in all areas of Human Resources whilst making sure that our clients are never treated as a number and when they call us, we know straight away what they wish to discuss whilst providing a suitable best practice and Employment Law solution.”

Are you currently considering a pay review?

If you have a team and business that is growing and now are at the stage where you need to recruit or ensure that your company is working to best practice and the law whilst being an employer of choice, contact us now for a non-obligatory telephone conversation. Consensus HR | Your Outsourced Human Resources & Employment Law Department | “Helping companies take the pain out of employing people whilst Preventing People Problems – 01438 576750”.

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29 11 2023

Proposed rates of SSP and family friendly leave announced | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Payrol #bedfordshirebusinesses, #familyfriendly, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #payroll, #ssp, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

On 28 November 2023, the Government published its proposals for pay rates for family friendly leave, statutory sick pay, and the lower earnings threshold to be applied from April 2024.

The proposals are:

Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, parental bereavement pay will rise from £172.48 to £184.03 per week.
Statutory sick pay will increase from £109.40 to £116.75 per week.
The lower earnings threshold, at or above which employees must earn in order to receive various statutory payments, will remain unchanged at £123 per week.

These rates are yet to be confirmed and are provided for information only at this stage. Until they are confirmed, they should not be relied upon for financial planning, however it would be highly unusual for the government not to implement the increases as currently proposed.

As a reminder, the following changes to national minimum wage were confirmed last week:

The national living wage age band will be expanded from 23 year olds and over, to 21 year olds and over.
National living wage will rise from £10.42 to £11.44 an hour.
National minimum wage for 18–20-year-olds will increase from £7.49 to £8.60 per hour.
The apprentice rate and rate for those below 18 but over school leaving age will increase from £5.28 to £6.40 an hour.

CIPD – News Article.

Our HR Comment: – Proposed rates of SSP and family friendly leave announced | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Here. is some very valuable financial information for business owners so that they can prepare for the new proposed rates of pay applicable from April 2024 and budget accordingly.

Contact us now

If you need any HR support with managing your team and adapting to the new proposed salary information outline in this article, click us now. Consensus HR – Helping companies take the pain out of employing people whilst preventing people problems.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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02 11 2023

Income inequality narrows as minimum wage rises | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Payrol #bedfordshirebusinesses, #consensus hr, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #payroll, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Income inequality in the UK has narrowed since the pandemic, thanks to a rising minimum wage and increased hiring. The proportion of employees earning below two-thirds of the median hourly rate reached a record low of 8.9% in April 2023, down from 10.7% in 2022 and 16.2% in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. Meanwhile, the percentage of high-paid employees fell to 23.4% from 25.4% in 2019. The decline in low-paid workers is attributed to government policies on the minimum wage and tax breaks for high earners who became self-employed. The data also reveals that full-time workers in the bottom fifth of the pay distribution experienced faster pay growth than inflation. Sectors with low-paid occupations, such as caring and leisure, saw the strongest wage growth.

Financial Times

The Times

Our HR comment / advice: Income inequality narrows as minimum wage rises | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is a great article from the ‘Financial Time and The Times’ in relation to pay and inequality and the median of pay received. The government policies are working for the low paid earners which should help many people since the pandemic and high inflation. At Consensus HR, we are always working with our clients to ensure that as part of their HR Strategy that y early pay reviews take place with the employees and clear measurements put into place to ensure all the team know why or if they get a pay rise and that it is dependent on both their performance and that of the company as a whole. This helps to ensure transparency and motivation within the team for the success of both the team member and the future of the business.”

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If you would like to review your current HR strategy within your business and evaluate whether it is working for the success of the business and team, give us a call now. Consensus HR | Herts, Beds- “Helping companies take the pain out of managing people, whilst preventing people problems”.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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05 10 2023

Employers must account for overtime in holiday pay calculations | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Law, General, Payrol #employment rights Act, #hertfordshirebusinesses, #outsourcedhumanresources, #payroll, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, employment law, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Employers must take account of overtime when calculating holiday allowances for staff, according to a ruling by the Supreme Court. The ruling came in a case brought by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which must now pay at least £30m in back pay to officers and civilian employees. The dispute arose after a change in rules meant that overtime and additional payments should be factored into holiday pay rates. Employment specialists warn that employers will no longer be able to use technical arguments to limit their liability for underpaid holiday pay claims. Jo Moseley, a member of Irwin Mitchell’s employment team, said: “Today’s ruling is of major significance and has the potential to cost UK businesses millions of pounds.”

The Times

The Guardian

Our HR comment: Employers must account for overtime in holiday pay calculations | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting case mentioned today in relation to when calculating and employees holiday pay and ensuring that overtime is also included. Pay is an area we always get calls about and especially when a member of the team has left the business and is an area that an employee ca go to an Employment Tribunal from day one of employment if they believe they have monies owed to them. This is called ‘Unauthorised deduction of wages’ and is covered under the Employment Rights Act 1996 section 13 – 13.Right not to suffer unauthorised deductions.

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If you employ a team and want to ensure that your business is working to best practice and the law and would like to have a non obligatory chat with us, give us a call now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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13 09 2023

Wages outstrip inflation for the first time in over a year | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Payrol #outsourcing, #payroll, #wages, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Wage growth has caught up with rising prices for the first time in nearly two years, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. Regular pay, excluding bonuses, rose by 7.8% year-on-year in May to July, matching the inflation rate for the period. Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said earnings continued to increase at record rates, while inflation has started to come down, meaning that real pay is no longer falling. Separate ONS data shows that the headline unemployment rate in the May-to-July period climbed to 4.3%, up from 3.8% in the previous three-month period. The number out of work is now just below 1.5m. At the same time, the number of job vacancies has dropped below 1m. Reacting to the ONS figures, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “It’s heartening to see the number of employees on payroll is still close to record highs and that our unemployment rate remains below many of our international peers.” He added that while wage growth “remains high,” for real wages to grow sustainably “we must stick to our plan to halve inflation.”

BBC News

Daily Mail

The Times

Our HR Comment: – Wages outstrip inflation for the first time in over a year.

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Some very interesting statistics in this article and the fact that ONS data shows regular pay increasing by 7.8% whilst unemployment is still very low and job vacancies dropping.

Contact us now

If you wish to talk to a HR professional about your salaries within your business and carry out pay reviews to best practice, give us a call now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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31 08 2023

Government to bring back EU-derived law on equal pay months after scrapping it | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Law, General, Payrol #employmentlaw, #equalityact2010, #equalityanddiversity, #EuropeanUnion, #payroll, bedfordshire, brexit, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Other media channels pick up on the story first reported by the FT yesterday whereby the UK government has announced that it will reinstate equal pay protection for women after an EU law guaranteeing it was scrapped. The protection, which aimed to help workers whose jobs had been outsourced, was among some 600 EU laws which the government announced in May that it would scrap by the end of the year, in the retained EU law bill. However, the government has now committed to reinstating the right under UK law. The government’s Equalities Hub spokesperson stated that there will be no reduction in equal pay protections and that new legislation will be laid in Parliament by the end of the year. Labour’s shadow women and equalities secretary, Anneliese Dodds, criticised the government’s U-turn and questioned its commitment to protecting equal pay rights for women.

Sky News

BBC News

The Guardian

Our HR Comment: – Government to bring back EU-derived law on equal pay months after scrapping it.

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting article firstly announce in the FT regarding Equal Pay and one of the many proposed EU laws to be scrapped by the Government. In this instance it has been reinstated and makes you wonder how many of the 600 law will be changed if ever as time goes on.

Some of our previous blogs written on the subject

Fewer EU laws to be scrapped.
Sunak tries to head off rebels with pledge on EU law repeal

Contact us now

Here is our latest monthly HR newsletter with just a few of our blogs and if you find any that you have questions about, do not hesitate to contact us.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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24 08 2023

Pay deals in UK cool for first time this year, easing inflation fears. | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Rewards & Benefits #benefits, #outsourcing, #payrise, #payroll, bedfordshire, Business, Business Owners, hertfordshire, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's, stevenage

Pay deals awarded by British employers cooled for the first time this year in the quarter to July, falling to 5.7% from a record 6%, according to a survey by XpertHR. This may ease the concerns of Bank of England officials who fear wage growth is fuelling inflation. The Bank of England has been closely monitoring wage growth in the private sector and has raised interest rates to 5.25% in an attempt to control inflation. Sheila Attwood, senior content manager at XpertHR, believes that pay awards have likely reached their peak and expects the gap between pay deals and inflation to narrow. However, official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that annual wage growth excluding bonuses rose to 7.8% in the three months to June. XpertHR also reported that median pay awards for the public sector increased to 5% in the year to July.

Reuters

Our HR Comment: – Pay deals in UK cool for first time this year, easing inflation fears.

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Do you carry out annual pay reviews for your team? How do you manage them? The last few years have found our clients in many cases finding it hard to warrant a pay rise with the slow economic climate in many areas at present, but what is the consequence of not with high inflation? We continually work with our retained monthly clients to ensure that the appropriate action is taken and that the team are fully informed and kept up to date of all things HR which also includes pay rises with at least a yearly review taking place. Your teams need to be spoken to and kept in the picture and should always know how successful or not successful sales / turnover are presently and rewarded appropriately in good / bad times. A discussion about pay, does not automatically mean there will be a pay rise but at least keeps the team informed whilst gaining their feedback. This article shows that 7.8% was the annual wage growth excluding bonuses in the three months to June but what are you offering? Have you offered a pay increase this year?

Here are a few of our previous blogs on the subject:

Flexible working key to reducing pay gap, civil servants claim

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If you wish to have some support in managing your companies HR and annual pay review for your team / business, give us a call now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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18 07 2023

Higher public sector pay rises would add little to inflation, think-tank says.

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, General, Payrol #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, #payroll, Business, Business Owners, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think-tank says higher pay increases for public sector workers would not be inflationary, undermining the government’s key argument against larger wage settlements. The IPPR report said raising pay by 10% on average for public sector workers would not add significantly to inflation. The think-tank said a settlement of as much as 10.5% could be used to restore public sector pay to pre-pandemic levels after inflation was taken into account while adding 0.14 percentage points to inflation at most, if funded by higher borrowing. It added that successive years of below-inflation pay rises had hit the living standards of public sector workers, contributing to a recruitment and retention crisis that is undermining the quality of services. Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: “It is nonsense to blame workers for stubborn inflation when pay packets have been obliterated. Real wages have been falling and have been for almost two years.”

The Guardian

Our Comment: Higher public sector pay rises would add little to inflation, think-tank says.

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “The Pandemic has a lot to answer for and especially when it comes to the public sector and their pay over this period. This article from The Guardian is very interesting and is one view on how to solve the current strike action that is taking place within the NHS and cancellation of much needed operations. Companies need to ensure when carrying out their annual pay review that it is taken seriously, and all relevant information gathered such as the performance of the employee and business and a fair and reasonable pay reward if applicable offered as your team will now many of the difficulties / successes the business has had over the past year.”

Contact us now

Are you about to carry out your companies yearly pay review and not sure which way to turn? Give us a call now for a non obligatory chat.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

For further information on any of the HR subjects we provide, please click the heading below:

12 07 2023

Record pay rises fuel fresh inflation fears.

Matthew Chilcott Blog, Employment Contracts, General, Payrol, Rewards & Benefits #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, #payrise, #payroll, Business, Business Owners, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's

UK wages have risen at a record annual pace fuelling fears that inflation will stay high for longer. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show regular pay growth in the private sector was 7.7%, the highest rate outside of the pandemic period, while for the public sector it was 5.8%, the highest since late 2001. The unemployment rate in the March to May period rose to 4%, up from 3.8% in the previous three months while the employment rate also increased to 76%, which the ONS said was mainly due to more part-time employees. Job vacancies fell for the 12th consecutive month, dropping by 85,000 in the April to June period to 1,034,000. Kitty Ussher, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said that while wage costs remain “very acute” for companies there were some “hopeful signs” in the latest ONS figures, “with the number of vacancies falling and more people coming out of inactivity back into the labour market”.

BBC News

The Daily Telegraph

The Times

Our HR Comment: Record pay rises fuel fresh inflation fears.

Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Another interesting article in several papers today about the fear of large pay rises going to affect interest, but what is your experience within your business? We have seen on the news many strikes in the public sector, but figures shown in this article demonstrate that job vacancies are continually dropping and now for 12 months and private sector increases of 7.7% and public sector 5.8% and inflation current at 7.9 %. We wait to see if inflation does drop and if Job vacancies continue to drop.

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If you would like support with your Recruitment and retention call us now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

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13 06 2023

Higher minimum wage helps drive record pay rises

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Payrol, Recruitment, Rewards & Benefits #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, #pandemic, #payroll, Business, Business Owners, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's

UK wages are rising at their fastest rate in 20 years, excluding the pandemic, in part because of a rise in the minimum wage.

Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is a very interesting article form the BBC today in relation to high UK wages due to the rise in the minimum wage and was part of a news article I heard on the way to work today. This was also in conjunction with unemployment going down as well to pre pandemic levels.”

Regular pay excluding bonuses increased by 7.2% in the three months to April, although it still lags behind the cost of living, official figures show.

The minimum wage – known as the National Living Wage – rose to £10.42 in April for those aged 23 and over.

It came as UK unemployment fell slightly and the numbers working rose.

Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said: “In cash terms, basic pay is now growing at its fastest since current records began, apart from the period when the figures were distorted by the pandemic.

“However, even so, wage rises continue to lag behind inflation.”

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of the job search engine Adzuna, said the rise in the minimum wage had had a “significant” impact.

“Nearly two million workers in the UK saw an almost 10% increase in pay this spring,” he told the BBC’s Today programme.

“What we’re seeing is some signs of optimism from British employers during what is often a time of year where discussions around pay and bonuses are had. So we are seeing wage improvements.”

Workers in multiple industries have held strikes since last summer as pay rates fail to keep pace with inflation – the rate at which prices rise. But the gap is narrowing, with inflation falling to 8.7% in April.

However, the Bank of England has warned sharp increases in wages are likely to prolong the UK’s still high rates of inflation. And there are fears the Bank will have to increase UK interest rates by more than previously thought to get the inflation rate down.

This is affecting the mortgage market, where lenders have been putting up borrowing rates and pulling deals.

Mr Hunter said: “Your average worker will be delighted that their pay on average is going up, but that’s not necessarily a good thing for inflation.”

According to the ONS, the number not working due to long term sickness climbed to another record high.

Around 2.6 million people are now not working due to health problems, the ONS said.

The UK economy is currently struggling to grow, as the soaring cost of living and rising interest rates squeeze households.

By Daniel Thomas

Business reporter, BBC News

However, the jobs market remains resilient, with the total number of people in work rising to its highest level ever in the three months to April.

Contact us now

If you need support in ensuring your team are being paid the correct amount for the role or pay in general, give us a call now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

For further information on any of the HR subjects we provide, please click the heading below:

07 06 2023

Payroll provider hit by cyber-attack

Matthew Chilcott Blog, General, Handbook, Training & Development #cyberattack, #outsourcedhumanresources, #outsourcing, #payroll, Business, Business Owners, HR, HR Advice, HR Consultant, HR Consultants, HR Support, outsourcedHR, Small Business, SME, SME's

The BBC, British Airways, Boots and Aer Lingus are among organisations affected by a cyber-attack targeting Zellis, a company used to process payroll payments. It is believed that the breach could have affected as many as 100,000 British workers, with staff told that data including their names, bank account details and National Insurance numbers may have been stolen. The hack was first disclosed last week when US company Progress Software said hackers had found a way to break into its MOVEit Transfer tool. Zellis said it had informed the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The NCSC said it is monitoring the situation and “working to fully understand the UK impact” of the incident. Researchers at US cybersecurity firm Secureworks say the attack appears to be linked to a Russian-speaking cybercrime group called Clop.

Matthew Pinto-Chilcott – FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is very worrying in this day and age where we are so dependent on IT and the web to run our businesses and I dread to think what we would do if our IT was intercepted. News out today on the BBC that I heard on my way to work is that they are going to make them pay a ransom if they wish things to return to normal. Here at Consensus HR, we are pleased to say that we have good security and all complete regular IT development on IT security, but you can never say never that you may be hacked! We advise all our clients to ensure regular updated IT development takes place as in the world of IT, it is always changing. Our IT provider continually provides us with information and tests to confirm our understanding and action / behaviours in preventing these kinds of instances.”

Contact us now

If you wish to know how to provide up to date training for the team in preventing IT hacking, give us a call now.

YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

For further information on any of the HR subjects we provide, please click the heading below:

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