We are sharing this update from ACCA, our professional body, for the interest of clients and contacts. The content is (c) ACCA
The Pensions Regulator is reminding employers to ensure they are complying with automatic enrolment pension duties this summer
If you are taking on extra staff over the summer, you must make sure you’re complying with your automatic enrolment pension duties.
The warning comes from The Pensions Regulator (TPR) in an online campaign aimed at employers most likely to hire summer temporary workers.
Even if your additional staff work for you for a few days or weeks, you must assess whether they are eligible to be enrolled into a pension scheme each time you pay them. If they are eligible, you must put them into a qualifying scheme and pay contributions. As your temporary workers may have variable hours and pay, your assessment of who to put into a pension scheme may take more time and effort. TPR has guidance that will help you ensure you are meeting your duties correctly.
Postponement
If you have staff who will be working for you for less than three months, you can use postponement to delay assessing those employees. This pauses the employer duty to assess staff until the end of the three-month postponement period.
Don’t hide from your pension duties!
If you think you may be late in meeting your duties for your summer staff, you should tell TPR immediately, so that they can provide support to help you comply.
The majority of employers are doing the right thing for their staff, but TPR warns that those who fail to meet their duties may risk a fine.
TPR monitors employers of all sizes, across all sectors, to protect workers and ensure workers receive the pensions they are legally due.
Check the steps you need to take to assess and enrol seasonal or temporary staff. Additional information is available if you are employing staff whose hours and pay will vary.
More information
Our latest suite of employment factsheets is now available.
