ENABLE Scotland has had a childcare voucher scheme in place with Computershare Voucher Services since 1 October 2010. This scheme allows you to buy childcare vouchers to pay for registered childcare and save on tax and National Insurance. You make the saving because ENABLE Scotland pays for the vouchers on your behalf and then deducts the same amount from your gross salary, meaning that you pay less in tax and National Insurance.
So far, only a small number of staff have taken advantage of the childcare voucher scheme and we wanted to make sure that all staff are aware of it. There should be posters in your local office base about Computershare Voucher Services. If not, please speak to your manager about arranging for some to be sent.
Anyone who is interested can contact Computershare Voucher Services online or by telephone to buy the required childcare vouchers. If you receive working tax credits, you should always check with Computershare Voucher Services as to whether it would be in your interest to use childcare vouchers and the company can provide as much guidance as you need before you make a decision.
When contacting Computershare Voucher Services, you should quote the scheme ID number below and have a recent pay slip to hand.
There are no other charges for you to worry about and the system will be administered by Computershare Voucher Services, which has been providing this service to employers since 1998 and processes vouchers for 110,000 working parents within 14,000 organisations. All we ask is that you commit to buying vouchers for a minimum period of 6 months.
If you are interested, please contact Computershare Voucher Services and they will explain how the scheme works and how you would benefit.
Lorraine Davidson
Executive Director (Human Resources)
SCHEME ID: 14875414
www.computersharevoucherservices.com
0845 002 111 Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
Abolition of the default retirement age: Q&A
When is the default retirement age being abolished?
The default retirement age will be abolished from 1 October 2011. Employees who reach 65 on or after 1st October 2011 cannot be forced to retire using the current statutory procedure.Transitional provisions will apply from 6 April 2011 which mean that the last date that employers can issue notices of retirement is 5 April 2011. Retirements issued by this date will be lawful provided that the employer follows the correct procedure.
Will employers be able to force employees to retire once the default retirement age is abolished?
No. From 6 April 2011, retirement will no longer be included as one of the potentially fair reasons for dismissal under s.98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, unless the transitional provisions apply and the employee has already been given notice of retirement in accordance with the statutory retirement procedure. A forced retirement after this date could potentially lead to a successful claim for unfair dismissal and/or age discrimination, unless:
- the employee wants to retire voluntarily
- the employer will has a fair, objective reason for dismissal (such as redundancy or capability) and follow a fair procedure before they dismiss
In what circumstances will employers be able to justify compulsorily retiring employees?
To be able to retire employees compulsorily, employers will have to be able to demonstrate that the retirement age is objectively justified. The ACAS guidance states that employers will continue to be able to retire an employee at a set age provided it can be objectively justified. They call this the “employer justified retirement age” (EJRA).
They go on to say that they expect “case-law around EJRA [to] develop once the DRA has been abolished.” Examples given of objective justifications are workforce planning or the health and safety of individual employees.
How will the abolition of the default retirement age affect recruitment practices?
According to XpertHR: “Employers may need to adjust their recruitment practices, to ensure that the number of new employees recruited is proportionate to the number of retirements. This is likely to be less predictable once the default retirement age has been abolished.”
“In addition, the current exemption from the age discrimination provisions that allows employers to reject an applicant who has reached, or is within six months of reaching, the retirement age of 65 or older, will no longer apply from 6 April 2011. Employers will need to ensure that they consider applications from candidates of any age on the basis of merit and suitability for the job in question rather than their age.”
For UNISON guidance on this issue, see the Age Equality Factsheet here.
The default retirement age will be abolished from 1 October 2011. Employees who reach 65 on or after 1st October 2011 cannot be forced to retire using the current statutory procedure.Transitional provisions will apply from 6 April 2011 which mean that the last date that employers can issue notices of retirement is 5 April 2011. Retirements issued by this date will be lawful provided that the employer follows the correct procedure.
Will employers be able to force employees to retire once the default retirement age is abolished?
No. From 6 April 2011, retirement will no longer be included as one of the potentially fair reasons for dismissal under s.98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, unless the transitional provisions apply and the employee has already been given notice of retirement in accordance with the statutory retirement procedure. A forced retirement after this date could potentially lead to a successful claim for unfair dismissal and/or age discrimination, unless:
- the employee wants to retire voluntarily
- the employer will has a fair, objective reason for dismissal (such as redundancy or capability) and follow a fair procedure before they dismiss
In what circumstances will employers be able to justify compulsorily retiring employees?
To be able to retire employees compulsorily, employers will have to be able to demonstrate that the retirement age is objectively justified. The ACAS guidance states that employers will continue to be able to retire an employee at a set age provided it can be objectively justified. They call this the “employer justified retirement age” (EJRA).
They go on to say that they expect “case-law around EJRA [to] develop once the DRA has been abolished.” Examples given of objective justifications are workforce planning or the health and safety of individual employees.
How will the abolition of the default retirement age affect recruitment practices?
According to XpertHR: “Employers may need to adjust their recruitment practices, to ensure that the number of new employees recruited is proportionate to the number of retirements. This is likely to be less predictable once the default retirement age has been abolished.”
“In addition, the current exemption from the age discrimination provisions that allows employers to reject an applicant who has reached, or is within six months of reaching, the retirement age of 65 or older, will no longer apply from 6 April 2011. Employers will need to ensure that they consider applications from candidates of any age on the basis of merit and suitability for the job in question rather than their age.”
For UNISON guidance on this issue, see the Age Equality Factsheet here.
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