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Following employers in the city of New York being legally prevented from racially discriminating against employees due to their natural hair or certain hairstyles, UK employers may be questioning whether “hair discrimination” is occurring under their workplace dress codes.

In October 2018, Inspecting Safeguarding in Early Years, Education and Skills Settings was published to support inspections under the common assessment framework. Liz Hodgman, Childcare Consultant, has developed an eight-part plan to help early years practitioners meet the requirements and provide a robust safeguarding provision.

In April, new employment laws will force organisations to change how they work. There will be hikes in the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW), bigger pension contributions and a major overhaul to payslips. Listed below are the legal changes businesses need to know about, with advice on how to prepare for the upcoming changes. For professional advice on dealing with any HR or payroll matters, speak to a qualified consultant on our helpline on 0844 561 8149.

Recent research reveals that there has been a dramatic rise in the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) at nursery so it is essential that early years providers are aware of their responsibilities and can fully support the children in their care. Elizabeth Walker investigates.

From 6 April 2019, the legal right to receive an itemised payslip will be extended to all workers, not just employees. The new right applies to payslips covering pay periods which begin on or after 6 April 2019. Furthermore, additional information must be shown on a payslip for workers whose pay varies depending on the number of hours that have been worked. Paul Tew, small business consultant and freelance advisor, looks at what employers need to do to plan for achieving compliance with these new statutory requirements.

Stuart Chamberlain, author and senior employment consultant at Croner-i, considers the implications for employment law and immigration if the Government is unable to obtain Parliament’s approval for withdrawal from the EU and there is “no deal” when the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019. He distinguishes between the short-term and long-term effects and implications and offers some advice to employers.

HSE has updated its online guidance on the provision of first aid at work to include brief advice on how to decide whether it is “beneficial” to provide trained personnel to identify and support workers who might be experiencing a mental health issue.

How often have unsatisfactory employees been dismissed, and then won compensation from their ex-employer? Unfortunately, too often, says Bob Patchett.

February is seen as the month of love; with Valentine’s Day ensuring everyone’s mind is focused on the romantic side of life. Workplace romances, however, may not be all hearts and flowers; here we look at the downsides to office romances.