Thank you to those who joined us on 16th April 2024 for our HR Informed: Coffee and Catch-up webinar, we hope you found the 30-minute session informative.
The session looked at recent updates and topical matters in the world of employment law and as promised a blog will follow on each topic discussed, so please remember to check our website.
The statutory rates and limits have recently increased and we have set out below some of the key changes.
Notably the age category for those entitled to the National Living Wage has changed and must now be paid to workers aged 21+ (previously it only applied to those aged 23+).
| Date of Change | Type of payment | New Rate (2024/2025) | Previous Rate (2023/2024) |
| National Minimum Wage (minimum hourly rates) | |||
| 1 April 2024 | National living wage (21+) | £11.44 | 23+ £10.42
21-22 £10.18 |
| 1 April 2024 | National Minimum Wage 18-20 | £8.60 | £7.49 |
| 1 April 2024 | National Minimum Wage Under 18 | £6.40 | £5.28 |
| 1 April 2024 | Apprentice rate (aged under 19 or aged 19 or over in the first year of their apprenticeship) | £6.40 | £5.28 |
| 1 April 2024 | Accommodation offset, (daily rate) | £9.99 | £9.10 |
| Statutory Sick Pay (weekly rates) | |||
| 6 April 2024 | Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) | £116.75 | £109.40 |
| Family Friendly Statutory Pay (weekly rates) | |||
| 6 April 2024 | Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) for 39 weeks.
· 6 weeks at 90% of employee’s average gross weekly earnings. · 33 weeks at the SMP rate (*or 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings – whichever is lower). |
£184.03* | £172.48 |
| 6 April 2024 | Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) (up to 37 weeks) (*or 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings – whichever is lower) | £184.03* | £172.48 |
| 6 April 2024 | Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) (1 or 2 weeks leave), (*or 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings – whichever is lower) | £184.03* | £172.48 |
| 6 April 2024 | Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (up to 2 weeks) (SPBP) (*or 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings – whichever is lower) | £184.03* | £172.48 |
| Tribunal Statutory Awards | |||
| 6 April 2024 | Limit on amount of basic award (30 weeks’ pay subject to limit on week’s pay) or statutory redundancy pay | £21,000 | £19,290 |
| 6 April 2024 | Limit on amount of compensation award for ordinary unfair dismissal (*or one year’s gross pay if lower) | £115,115* | £105,707* |
| 6 April 2024 | Additional award for unfair dismissal (where an employer does not comply with a re-instatement or re-engagement order) | Minimum award: lower of 26 weeks’ pay or £18,200
Maximum award: 52 weeks’ pay (up to £36,400) |
£16,718 to £33,436 |
| 6 April 2024 | Maximum amount of ‘a week’s pay’ | £700 | £643 |
| Vento bands (awards for injury to feelings and psychiatric injury) | |||
| 6 April 2024 | Lower band – less serious cases | £1,200 to £11,700 | £1,100 to £11,200 |
| 6 April 2024 | Middle band – for cases that do not merit an award in the upper band | £11,700 to £35,200 | £11,200 to £33,700 |
| 6 April 2024 | Upper band – the most serious cases (*exceptional cases can exceed this band) | £35,200 to £58,700* | £33,700 to £56,200* |
The new rates for Tribunal awards take effect where the ‘appropriate date’ for the cause of action (such as the date of termination in an unfair dismissal claim) falls on or after 6 April 2024. Where the appropriate date falls before 6 April, the old limits will still apply, irrespective of the date on which compensation is awarded.
We look forward to seeing some of you at our next coffee and catch-up webinar on 11 July 2024, in the meantime, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
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This is only intended to be a summary and not specific legal advice. If you would like further information or advice, please do contact a member of our team.
Contact Us
If you have any questions on employment law, please contact a member of the team:
Selene Holden (seleneholden@greene-greene.com ~ 01284 717436)
Greg Jones (gregjones@greene-greene.com ~ 01284 717446)
Angharad Ellis Owen (aeo@greene-greene.com ~ 01284 717453)
Katie Harris-Wright (katieharris-wright@greene-greene.com ~ 01284 717442)
