Over the next coming months we are due to see the Government’s proposed changes to employment law, put into place. The first change that you may already be aware of is the National Minimum Wage increase. Approved back in March this year, the increase is scheduled to take place 1st October 2014. The increase has been based on the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations and will be the first time in the last six years that the minimum wage rise will be higher than inflation. £6.50ph for workers over the age of 21yrs – (rise of 19p per hour) £5.13ph for workers 18 – 21yrs – (rise of 10p per hour) £3.79ph for workers 16 – 17yrs – (rise of 7p per hour) £2.73ph for apprentices under 19yrs or 19yrs and over who are in their first year of apprenticeship – (rise of 5p per hour) Shared Parental Leave is a topic that we have been discussing in our recent blogs. Under the new shared parental leave legislation as of the 1st October 2014, husbands, civil partners or partners of the pregnant women will have the right to unpaid leave to attend up to 2 ante-natal appointments. This will be followed by the adjustment to maternity leave as of the 1st December 2014, for parents of children born or matched for adoption on or after 5th April 2015. Under the new structure, parents will have the control to decide how they wish to share the care of their child during the first year after birth, allowing flexible parental leave. The mother will still be required to take at least the first two weeks off as maternity leave following the birth, after which the parents have the ability to divide the remaining maternity leave between them. For further information regarding the above, please feel free to contact ePayMe’s Compliance Manager Neil Baigent via email : neil.baigent@epayme.co.uk or call : 0800 622 6119 and he will be happy to assist with any questions you may have.