Official figures by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have revealed that as employers reduced hours to protect jobs, 5.07 million people regularly worked unpaid overtime in 2009, a decline of 168,000 on the previous year. Staff undertaking the overtime worked on average seven hours and 12... read more

Many employees who, having accepted a pay freeze this year, were looking forward to receiving a pay rise next year, will have their hopes dashed according to the results of recent survey.  The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and recruitment consultancy Harvey Nash, questioned 240... read more

Today is the first day of this year’s Trades Union Congress in Liverpool. It is the last congress before next year’s general election. During this week, it is expected that Brendan Barber, the general secretary, will call for tax relief on pensions contributions made by higher rate taxpayers... read more

Many of us find ourselves working through lunch breaks, staying late or coming in at weekends in order to keep on top of things at work. A recent survey carried out by an online takeaway company found that out of the 1,663 employees that participated, 58% said they are working more unpaid... read more

A government watchdog is to investigate whether companies are exploiting graduates by hiring them on an internship basis. At a time when official figures report that one million young people will be out of work by the autumn, the risk is that because only those with some form of... read more

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has announced that using tips to make up staff pay to minimum wage levels will be outlawed from 1 October 2009. The government published a consultation paper in November 2008 on its proposal to prohibit service charges, tips... read more

Following a recommendation by the Low Pay Commission UK minimum wage is set to rise in October 2009. National minimum wage is to rise to £5.80 (7p rise), the rate for 18 to 21-year-olds will increase to £4.83 (6p rise) and for 16 and 17-year olds to £3.57 (4p rise). Furthermore, from October... read more

Having seen various publications by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission on the importance of equal pay I was rather shocked to see an article stating that the Commission may have advised the government that due to the recession, equal pay reviews may have to be put on hold. The... read more

We are in a period of relative deflation combined with a global recession.  For companies faced with employee pay reviews the question is less “what are inflation rates” and more “what, if anything, can we afford?” A recent study of 2,000 companies by Hay Group shows that pay movements... read more

A recent decision of the European Court of Justice in the case of HMRC v Stringer that workers on long-term sick leave continue to accrue statutory holiday and should be allowed to take that holiday or carry it over to the next year, is not good news for employers in the current climate.... read more