Essential legislation updates for small business owners

02 Dec 2014

Written by Alice Smithson

Changes have recently come into effect that will have a distinct bearing on small business owners. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your salon is keeping up-to-date with the relevant requirements:

Rise in National Minimum Wage
As  of October 1 2014, there has been a hike in the National Minimum Wage. The new rates are:
£6.50 per hour for 21 years and over
£5.13 for employees aged 18-20
£3.79 for staff between 16-17
£2.73 for apprentices
Any business not adhering to the new rates face a maximum fine of £20,000, so best to make sure that you’re covering these rates to avoid a costly fine and damage to your reputation.

New parental laws
Two new laws for parents will affect small business owners. The first is for the right for fathers to take time off to attend two antenatal appointments with their partner. The Children and Parents Act grants this right to biological fathers as well as partners of mothers-to-be.

The second alteration to the law applies to children born on or after April 5th 2015. Shared parental leave means that both parents can split the entitlement to employment leave to care for their child. After two weeks’ compulsory maternity leave, the partner is allowed to make up to three requests for longer blocks of leave to help care for their child. This request must be made eight weeks prior to the leave period, allowing salon owners plenty of time to arrange cover. It is also a positive move for new mothers who wish to return part-time to their position at the salon earlier than previously possible.

Managing leave requests can be a confusing task for hairdressers and salons with several staff and premises to cover. However, iSalon software makes appointment booking and leave schedules far easier to manage, allowing for quick changes to schedules whenever they are required.