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A number of employment law developments will be coming into force in the workplace from next month - and it could mean employees earn more.

The new rules, most of which come into affect on April 6, will affect statutory sick pay, national minimum wage as well as payslips.

Employees and their employers will also need to get to grips with changes coming to pension contributions and tribunal pay-outs too.

HR expert and operations director at Peninsula, Alan Price, says that employers need to be aware of all these upcoming changes - and adapt their policies as a result.

So what do the changes mean for employees? And will any lead to a pay rise?

Here's everything you need to know beforehand.

National Minimum Wage

(Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

National minimum wage (NMW) rates are scheduled to increase for all pay reference periods which start on or after 1 April 2019.

This means all minimum wage workers will receive a welcomed boost in their pay.

Under the change, those aged 25 or over will now be entitled to a minimum of £8.21 per hour, whilst those who qualify for the different NMW age bandings will also benefit from increases.

Experts say it will be important for employers to review and amend their pay practices according, and ahead of time, to ensure all affected staff continue to receive the correct rate.

Statutory Sick Pay

From 6 April 2019, the qualifying criteria for statutory sick pay will change - as well as the amount staff will be entitled to earn each week.

It means individuals will need to earn at least £118 per week in order to qualify for weekly payments of £94.25.

Similarly, the rate of pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay will increase to £148.68 per week from April 7 2019.

Payslips

(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Mr Price says employers will have to rethink their pay slip process from April 6 as both 'employees' and 'workers' will be entitled to receive itemised pay statements from this day onwards.

Payslips will also need to include the total number of hours worked, where this influences pay - meaning payroll and HR departments will have to work together to ensure relevant staff receive their payslips in accordance with these new requirements.

Pension contributions

The approach to pensions by employers will also need adjusting this year, as the minimum auto-enrolment contributions will increase from April 6.

Employers and workers will now need to contribute 3% and 5% of an employee's pre-tax salary respectively each month - and payroll departments will need to be on the ball to avoid reprisals from the pensions regulator.

Tribunal pay-outs

The amount of money employees could be due for a successful tribunal claim will also increase in 2019, from April 6

From this date, successful claims for unfair dismissal could result in a maximum compensation payout of £102,194 which means employers will need to be extra careful in making sure their procedures are fair and appropriate when taking disciplinary action.

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