What's New

Job adverts in the UK in December 2020 saw a 10.5% increase on the figure for the same month in 2019 with 1.77 million jobs on offer.

Given its insistence that Brexit was about taking back control of its laws, as well as its borders and money, the Government has come under pressure from some of its supporters to cut back on some of the rules introduced through EU law in areas including the environment and employment.

Of the over 50,000 working mothers who responded to a TUC survey on the challenges of managing work and childcare during lockdown, nearly three-quarters (71%) of those who have applied for furlough following the latest school closures have had their requests turned down.

While making a workplace Covid secure, as far as is reasonably practicable, is the legal responsibility of employers, some have struggled to implement appropriate measures to restrict the potential for occupational exposure to the virus.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has invited comments on proposals that will enable employers to apply a zero-rate secondary Class 1 Employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) on the salaries of veterans during their first year of civilian employment.

In January 2021, the Department of Health & Social Care published the UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan.

Scotland’s new rules, which came into effect on 00.01 on Saturday 16 January, are expected to stay in place until at least the middle of February.

From 4am on 18 January 2021, due to concerns over new strains of the coronavirus potentially entering the UK, the Government has now taken steps to remove travel corridor options for travellers.

Increased market activity and better news about vaccines has led some firms to press on with hiring plans as the latest “UK Report on Jobs” survey signalled a renewed rise in permanent placements at the end of 2020.

With more than 2700 vaccine sites across the UK, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is expecting to see at least 2 million vaccinations per week as the Government sets out its plan for vaccinating tens of millions of people by the Spring.