In April, statutory rates of pay and maximum awards in the Employment Tribunal increased. Below sets out the key changes to the rates and limits that employers should be familiar with.
We have also set out some more general statutory rights that employers should understand.
Statutory Rates of Pay:
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage:
| Hourly | April 2023 | April 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentices (Under 19 or over 19 and in the first year of apprenticeship) | £4.81 | £5.28 |
| Age 16 – 17 | £4.81 | £5.28 |
| Age 18 – 20 | £6.83 | £7.49 |
| Age 21 – 22 | £9.18 | £10.18 |
| National Living Wage (Age 23+) | £9.50 | £10.42 |
Statutory payments for time off work:
| Each Week | April 2023 | April 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity/adoption pay prescribed rate | 90% of earnings (1st 6 weeks) £156.66 (or 90% of earnings if lower) (following 33 weeks) | 90% if earnings (1st 6 weeks) £172.48 (or 90% of earnings if lower) (following 33 weeks) |
| Paternity pay (max) | £156.66 (or 90% of earnings if lower) | £172.48 (or 90% of earnings if lower) |
| Shared parental pay (max) | £156.66 (or 90% of earnings if lower) | £172.48 (or 90% of earnings if lower) (following 33 weeks) |
| Statutory parental bereavement pay (max) | £156.66 (or 90% of earnings if lower) | £172.48 (or 90% of earnings if lower) |
| Sick pay | £99.35 | £109.40 |
| Lower earnings limit | £123 | £123 |
Statutory Rights:
Notice:
| Length of Employment | Due from Employer | Due from Employee |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | Nil | Nil |
| Between 1 month and 2 years of service | 1 week | 1 week |
| Over 2 years of service | 1 week per complete year of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks | 1 week |
Holidays and rest breaks:
| Minimum Time | |
|---|---|
| Holiday | 5.6 weeks |
| Daily rest period | 11 hours in each 24-hour period |
| Weekly rest period | 24 hours in each 7-day period |
| Rest breaks | 20 minutes if working more than 6 hours |
Maximum working hours:
| Maximum time | |
| Maximum working time | 48 hours per week (per 17-week reference period) |
Employment Tribunal Compensation Limits:
Compensation limits:
| (Maximum unless stated) | April 2023 | April 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Week’s pay | £571 | £643 |
| Statutory redundancy payment: up to 30 weeks’ pay | £17,130 | £19,290 |
| Unfair dismissal basic award: up to 30 weeks’ pay | £17,130 | £19,290 |
| Unfair dismissal compensatory award | £93,878 | £105,707 |
| Automatically unfair dismissal basic award (min) | £6,959 | £7,836 |
| Blacklisted employee unfair dismissal basic award (min) | £5,000 | £5,000 |
| Failure to reinstate or re-engage: 26 to 52 weeks’ pay | £14,846 to £29,692 | £16,718 to £33,436 |
| Breach of right to be accompanied: up to 2 weeks’ pay | £1,142 | £1,286 |
| Breach of flexible working regulations: up to 8 weeks’ pay | £4,568 | £5,144 |
| Failure to give written particulars of employment: 2 or 4 weeks’ pay | £1,142 to £2,284 | £1,286 to £2,572 |
| Breach of contract claim in employment tribunal | £25,000 | £25,000 |
| Failure to inform or consult: collective redundancy | 90 days’ pay | 90 days’ pay |
| Failure to inform or consult: TUPE transfer | 13 weeks’ pay | 13 weeks’ pay |
| Guarantee payment (each day) | £31 | £35 |
Injury to Feelings Awards:
Compensation for injury to feelings (discrimination claims):
| Date claim presented | Lower band | Middle band | Top band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 April 2022 – 5 April 2023 | £990 – £9,900 | £9,900 – £29,600 | £29,600 – £49,300 |
| 6 April 2023 – 5 April 2024 | £1,100 – £11,200 | £11,200 – £33,700 | £33,700 – £56,200 |
We hope you have found this update useful.
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