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Ahead of the summer term, join us as we reflect on the upcoming changes to the sector and keep you up to date with the latest developments, as part of March’s snapshot.
Reminder: Gender pay gap reporting
If you're an employer with 250+ employees, it's a mandatory requirement for you to publish statutory calculations each year to clearly report how large the pay gap is between your male and female employees. Schools and trusts need to comply with the guidelines set out by the government where the GPG report needs to be published within one year of the relevant snapshot date.
The deadline dates are:
- 30 March (public sector)
- 4 April (private sector)
Need expert support with diversity, equity, inclusion and legislative requirements? We can help. Speak to us to learn more about our reporting functionality, model policies and training.
EPM Payroll customers have access to data supporting the gender pay gap requirements through the EPM Portal, along with guidance in our Customer hub.
'Significant' changes
🚨 Act now! With new processes for academies undertaking significant changes being implemented by the DfE from 1 April, now is a great time to review your plans. Read our blog for the key take aways and to understand how these changes could impact your Academy.
Legislative changes from April
With several pieces of HR legislation due to come into effect from April, make sure you're aware of the impact these could have on your policies and processes. From the prevention of illegal working to paternity leave and trade union regulations, we've got these updates covered in our bulletin.
New financial year considerations
Several statutory and regulatory payroll and pension changes are being introduced from April, in line with the new financial year. Make sure you're aware of how these changes impact your budgets and spending, with updates surrounding rates and thresholds for employers, pension thresholds and rates, and end of year reporting with HMRC. EPM customers can access a copy of our Payroll & Pensions bulletin through the Customer hub.
New governance handbook
On 7 March, the DfE unveiled two new governance guides in place of their long-standing governance handbook. These updated guides now provide specific and segmented advice for maintained schools and academies - replacing the governance handbook of 2019.
You can access the updated non-statutory guidance here for maintained schools and academy trusts.
While the new guide offers a wealth of information and signposts valuable resources, it can still take time to adjust to the changes. Our Leadership & MAT Development Team is committed to understanding the guidance, and helping your MAT operate at its best.
Stay informed and empowered by talking to our team about our strategic governance advice and external governance reviews.
Holiday pay and entitlement reforms
Following recent case law, the most notable of which has been the outcome of the Supreme Court case for Harpur Trust v Brazel, the Government has outlined guidance on the legislation that came into effect from 1 January 2024, intended to simplify holiday entitlement and pay calculations in the Working Time Regulations (WTR).
The changes and guidance include the following key highlights, along with detailed examples and calculations for different scenarios:
- No single entitlement of 5.6 weeks annual holiday entitlement. Instead, regulations 13 and 13a, which determine the rate of pay for annual leave at 4 weeks normal pay and 1.6 weeks at basic pay, have been retained.
- Definition of what ‘normal rate of pay’ is in relation to the 4 weeks statutory leave.
- Definition of “irregular hours workers and part-year workers.”
- Introduced for “irregular hours workers and part-year workers” is the accrual of holiday entitlement method at a rate of 12.07% of hours worked in a pay period and, the option to use rolled-up holiday pay (RHP). These changes apply to holiday years commencing on or after 1 April 2024.
- A three-step process for calculating holiday entitlement in cases where a worker is on other leave, such as maternity or family-related leave, or is absent due to sickness, using a 52-week reference period.
- Removal of COVID carry-over holiday entitlement rules, such that relevant accrued holiday must be used by 31 March 2024.
- Clarification on record-keeping for employers to ensure that it is “adequate” to demonstrate compliance with the Working Time Regulations.
For more details, EPM customers should read our recent bulletin with accompanying FAQs and watch out for our upcoming webinar on the matter. Please also look out for details to join a live Q&A session on Tuesday 16 April.
Join our upcoming events
Local to our Newton Aycliffe office? Join our Breakfast Roundtables
Don't miss your chance to join your peers in-person to share insights and experiences over coffee and breakfast. Our new series of Breakfast Roundtable events, held in our Newton Aycliffe office, invite you to discuss a range of topics with education experts over the coming months.
Submit your interest to join our sessions by clicking the links below.
👥 Developing a people strategy - 17 April
⚖️ Handling complaints from a legal and governance perspective - 21 May
💼 Financial planning and procurement advice - 6 June
🌍 Strategic planning and focus for the next academic year - 20 June
Share your insights during our People Strategy Roundtable
We're giving you the option to join us in Huntingdon or dial-in virtually for this session on 16 April!
Contribute your experiences on implementing a robust people strategy and find out how to create a high-performing working culture that promotes collaboration, aspiration, and support. Focusing on various initiatives that are being used for recruitment and retention, the DfE's pillar of 'Workforce' will be discussed. << Click here to let us know you're coming >>
Reserve your place online for our April training sessions
Managing Sickness Absence Training - 16 April > Recommended for SLT, line managers, and anyone else who deals with absences in their role
Mental Health Skills for Managers - 23 April > Recommended for people managers at all levels
HR Essentials Training - 25 April > Recommended for SLT, line managers and those needing an HR refresher
Managing Challenging People Training - 30 April > Recommended for managers and HR professionals
