Don’t botch living wage response, says expert

A Lancashire employment lawyer has warned businesses not to fall foul of employment legislation if the national living wage forces them into making redundancies.

However, Roger Spence, head of employment law at Harrison Drury, believes it could lead to some businesses breaching employment laws if they don’t follow the correct redundancy consultation procedures.

“Employers need to be able to demonstrate that they have considered all the alternatives and redundancies should be a last resort. As always, all the correct consultation procedures must be followed, or it could get even more costly for employers as they fight employment claims for unfair dismissal.”

Four out of five (79 per cent) retail employers, 77 per cent of those in hospitality and 68 per cent in the healthcare sector said they will be affected by the national living wage.