Q. I already use a different Payroll Agent but would like to use your services, how easy it to do this?
We will require some information from your existing Payroll Agent but we should be able to get this directly from them; transferring to our service is really easy and we can make sure that the whole process happens smoothly for you and doesn’t interrupt your Carer’s payment cycle.
Q. My Employee has lost their payslips and needs duplicates for a mortgage application, can you help with this?
Yes! We keep your payroll records securely so we can provide copies of any payslip we have produced for you in the past.
Q. My Employee is sick, are they entitled to Statutory Sick Pay?
You only need to pay SSP to an employee if they meet the qualifying conditions set out below.
Qualifying conditions:
An employee must meet all the following conditions to get SSP:
• They must be your employee – and they’ll need to have done some work under their employment contract before going off sick.
• They must be unable to work due to sickness for a period of at least 4 days (these days do not need to be working days)
• The days they’re getting paid SSP for must be qualifying days – these are days they normally work.
• Their earnings must be at least as much as the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance contributions (NICs). This is £102 a week for 2011-12.
• They can’t have already received the maximum amount of SSP for the PIW – or for a series of linked PIWs (28 weeks).
• They must have notified you about their sickness – either within your own time limit or within seven days.
• They must give you evidence of their incapacity, if you require it.
You may be able to recover some or all of the SSP you pay to your Carer but this depends on the total National Insurance payable for all of your Carers.
Q. How much holiday is my Employee entitled to?
Almost all workers above school leaving age – not just employees but also, for example casual workers – are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid holiday per leave year (28 days for a worker working a five-day week).
The 5.6 weeks is a minimum entitlement – you can choose to offer more.
You can count any days off for public or bank holidays towards a worker’s Statutory Holiday Entitlement – but only as long as you pay them for those days off.
Q. My Employee is a pensioner and thinks they shouldn’t pay National Insurance, is this correct?
Once someone is over State Pension age they don’t have to pay Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions if someone carries on working. They only have to pay them on any earnings that were due to be paid before they reached State Pension age. If someone stays in employment or self-employment after State Pension age they can apply for an Age Exception Certificate so that they don’t pay National Insurance contributions.
To apply for an Age Exemption Certificate your employee should telephone HMRC on 0845 302 1479
Q. My Employee is pregnant, will she get maternity pay?
If your employee is expecting a baby, she may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). This replaces her normal earnings to help her take time off around the time of the birth. She also has a statutory right to a minimum amount of maternity leave.
Whether you have to pay SMP to an expectant employee depends on how long they’ve worked for you and how much they earn. They’ll have to provide you with evidence of when the baby is due and give you notice of when they want you to start paying their SMP.
