Aug 2017
30
In October 2016, the Minister for Finance announced that the current Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system would be revamped and modernised. This is known as PAYE Modernisation. This new system will enable Revenue to ensure that employees are receiving their correct tax credits and cut-off points throughout the year in real time. This compares with the current PAYE reporting which is done through P35s on a yearly basis.
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Thesaurus Connect is a cloud add-on that works alongside Thesaurus Payroll Manager. Payroll information is stored in the cloud and can be accessed online by bureaus, employers and employees on any device. Thesaurus Connect offers additional innovative payroll and HR features that streamline annual leave management and payroll processing.
PAYE Modernisation is probably the biggest overhaul of the PAYE system since PAYE itself was introduced back in 1960. It will have wide ranging effects on all employers.
Register here: 3rd October (bureaus) / 4th October (bureaus) / 24th October (employers)
80% of unfair dismissal cases are won by the employee, not because the reason for dismissal was unfair but because the employer did not follow fair procedures. In this webinar we discuss the dangers of dismissing an employee, what rights you have as an employer and the relevant steps you need to take to protect your business against an unfair dismissal claim.
Data protection and how personal data is managed is changing forever. On 25 May 2018 the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force. The GDPR is a European privacy regulation replacing all existing data protection regulations.
Aug 2017
17
In September 2016, fathers of children born in Ireland became eligible for the first time to take up to two weeks’ paternity leave and to receive Paternity Benefit from the Department of Social Protection. Statistics collated from the first few months of the scheme show, however, that just one in four fathers eligible for the scheme chose to avail of it. This is in stark contrast to the expectation that 60% of eligible fathers would avail of the scheme when it was first announced.
Just over 5,000 paternity benefit applications were awarded during the first three months of the scheme going live, with County Longford, Kerry, Roscommon, and Clare having the fewest applicants. A larger uptake, however, was seen in County Dublin, Cork and Kilkenny.
A further 7,500 paternity benefit claims were subsequently awarded in the first four months of 2017. Under the new scheme, eligible fathers are entitled to two weeks of paternity leave. The two-week leave can be taken at any point within 28 weeks of the birth or adoption of a child, but the two weeks must be taken together.
A social welfare benefit of €235 per week is paid for the two weeks. It is at an employer’s discretion if they wish to top up this payment to the full weekly wage normally earned by the employee. Despite the low uptake so far, it is hoped that the number of applicants will increase as the scheme enters its second year in September.
Current statistics also don’t reflect fathers who may be delaying their paternity leave, for example, fathers whose child was born on February 28 this year can take it at any time up to September 1, 2017.
Guidance on how employers should treat Paternity Benefit and when it should be entered in Thesaurus Payroll Manager can be found here: https://www.thesaurus.ie/docs/2017/paternity-benefit/taxation-of-paternity-benefit/
Related article: Equality for working Dads with new Paternity Leave
