Zero-Hours Reform, Umbrella Liability and Payrolling Benefits
Join Steve Yardley and our expert payroll panel on Payroll Question Time as they break down the most pressing consultations and compliance deadlines hitting payroll teams right now.
Title: 🌟 Zero-Hours Reform, Umbrella Liability and Payrolling Benefits 🌟
Host: 🎙️ Steve Yardley, Managing Director, JGA Recruitment Group
Episode Overview:
🔊 In this insightful episode of The Payroll Podcast, host Steve Yardley and our expert panel break down the most pressing consultations and compliance deadlines hitting payroll teams right now. From zero-hours contract reform and SSP qualifying day pitfalls, to umbrella company liability rules and mandatory payrolling of benefits. With the Fair Work Agency expanding its powers and April 2027 approaching fast, this is essential viewing for every payroll professional in the UK.
Key Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- SSP qualifying days for zero-hours workers and the employer misconception around scheduled versus qualifying days
- The Zero-Hours Contract Consultation: guaranteed hours, reference periods, and what a 12, 26, or 52 week window would mean in practice
- Hours worked versus hours paid: why payroll systems cannot resolve this gap on their own
- Why zero-hours reform could create a recurring reassessment obligation, similar to pension re-enrolment
- Unpaid Carers’ Leave Consultation and what the evidence-gathering stage signals for future employer obligations
- Ethnicity pay gap reporting and why a firm implementation date still hasn’t been set
- Devolved tax thresholds in Wales and Scotland, and the push to align announcement timing across nations
- World Cup related absence management, annual leave clashes, and SSP claims under the new day-one rules
- The Fair Work Agency’s expanding enforcement powers and the shift from individual tribunal claims to direct government action
- Holiday pay compliance risk and the scale of underpayment employers still haven’t addressed
- P11D and PSA deadlines, common referencing errors, and what actually qualifies for a settlement agreement
- Mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind from April 2027: phase one covering cars, vans, fuel, and medical benefits
- New and dropped HMRC reporting fields for company cars and medical benefits, and where the industry is pushing back
- Umbrella company joint and several liability from April 2026 and what it means for agency due diligence
- Why HMRC will not accept bills of exchange as payment of tax, and what that closes off for avoidance scheme
Our Panel
Steve Yardley, Managing Director, JGA Recruitment Group- Mathew Akrigg, Policy & Advisory Leader, CIPP
- Karen Thomson, Head of Payroll, Armstrong Watson
- Simon Parsons, Director of UK Compliance Strategies at SD Worx
- Richard George, Payroll Consultant & Industry Leader
- Sam Mann, Payroll Team Manager, Armstrong Watson LLP
Useful Links From This Episode:
- 🌳 Greenify Talent: JGA Planet Positive (ESG) Recruitment Solution
- 👤 Host Nick Day LinkedIn Profile
- 📢 JGA Payroll Recruitment
- 🎧 Check out our sister podcast, The HR L&D Podcast
PAYROLL LEADERS – I CALL YOU ALL TO ACTION! 📢
🙏 Thank you for tuning in to The Payroll Podcast. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we continue to dive into the fascinating world of payroll! 🎧🌍
If you need the support of a payroll recruitment agency to help fill your next payroll vacancy, please please contact me! I possess over 20 years of payroll recruitment agency expertise and I would love to help! [email protected] or call 01727 800377
Find out more at: www.jgarecruitment.com.
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