New DWP postal addresses 15 February 2016
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is modernising how it receives and processes post by gradually transforming the department’s paper led system to a digital solution. This has resulted in changes to office postal addresses.
Follow this link for a list of a list of DWP offices that have new postal addresses
Devolving Sunday trading hours 17 February 2016
With the extension of Sunday trading due this autumn, the Government will be strengthening the duty on employers to notify employees of their rights about working on Sundays.
The Government is introducing amendments to the Enterprise Bill to hand local authorities the power to extend Sunday opening hours. Local retailers will have the flexibility to seasonally adjust hours to enable them to better compete for trade. Last year, internet retailers accounted for 13.8% of all retail spending in December 2015.
This is part of a package of measures to devolve Sunday trading laws to Local Authorities allowing councils to ‘zone’ any relaxation so they will be able to prioritise high streets and city centres.
The measures also include greater freedoms for shop workers to ‘opt-out’ of working Sundays if they choose to, for example because they object on religious grounds or for family reasons. These rights will apply in England, Wales and Scotland, whereas the Sunday trading rules apply in England and Wales only. Shop workers will now be able to give just 1 month’s notice to large shops that they no longer want to work Sundays, down from the previous 3 months, and will have a new right to opt out of working additional hours. The Government will also strengthen the duty on employers to notify employees of their rights about working on Sundays.
A factsheet has also been published outlining the new measures.
Self-Employment Review recommends equal treatment 19 February 2016
An independent review on self-employment has recommended that the support provided by Government to those starting or extending a family should be consistent whether the beneficiary is employed or self-employed.
Julie Deane OBE, founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company, carried out the independent review of self- employment in the UK. The Government requested this review to find out what the challenges and opportunities are for those who want to work for themselves and to highlight the contribution they make to the UK economy and consider how they can be better supported. The UK labour market is one of the most diverse in the world with self-employment accounting for over a quarter of the growth in employment since 2010. According to ONS figures, 1 in 7 people in employment choose to work for themselves, making a total of 4.5 million people. “There is a clear desire for equal treatment and recognition from the Government for the self-employed and discrepancies should be reviewed. The support provided by Government to those starting or extending a family should be consistent whether the beneficiary is employed or self-employed. i. Government should consider enhancing the level of Maternity Allowance provided to the self- employed in the first 6 weeks – bringing Maternity Allowance in line with Statutory Maternity Pay . As is the case with Statutory Maternity Pay the remaining 33 weeks would be paid at the lower of the statutory flat rate or 90% of earnings (in the case of low earners). ii. Government should consider introducing a new ‘Adoption Allowance’ for self-employed adopters. In line with Statutory Adoption Pay, this should also be enhanced to 90% of earnings in the first 6 weeks - bringing ‘Adoption Allowance’ in line with Statutory Adoption Pay and the above An excerpt from the report:
CIPP Policy News Journal
25/04/2016, Page 118 of 453
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