To paraphrase the Kipling poem very badly, if you can keep your head and apply the April statutory increases when all around you there is absolute chaos… we can maintain some semblance of normality. 

I am pretty sure the great poet was not thinking of tariff wars and pages and pages of an employment rights bill when he wrote his poem, but we will use his wise words anyway.

National Minimum Wage/ National Living Wage rates (in force 1 April 2025)

21 plus                                £12.21

18-20                                  £10.00

16-17                                   £7.55

Apprentices                          £7.55 

Statutory Maternity Pay (basic rate), Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay (Basic Rate), Statutory Shared Parent Pay, Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay 

2025 rate                           £184.03               from 6 April 2025 

Statutory Sick Pay 

2025 rate                           £116.75               from 6 April 2025

Note that this is still only payable to employees earning over the LEL and after three waiting days.  The changes included in the Employment Rights Bill are not yet in force       

Tribunal Awards (in force from 6 April 2025) – Maximum Awards

Basic award                                                    £21,000

Maximum compensation award                         £115,115

Additional award                                            £18,200 – £36,400

Redundancy Pay                                             £21,000

Other changes?

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 came into force on 6 April 2025.  This introduces a statutory entitlement of up to 12 weeks for parents of babies requiring neonatal care.  It’s a day one right to leave, although there will be a minimum qualifying period of 26 weeks to qualify for paid leave.   

For more information on the provisions, read our blog.   

Mandatory Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gap Reporting: A Government Consultation 

The Government has launched a consultation on its Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. This Bill, announced at the King’s Speech almost a year ago, intends, amongst other things, to introduce ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. This consultation (closes 10 June 2025) seeks views on how best to introduce this reporting for larger employers with over 250 employees.  

A copy of the consultation document can be found here. We are promised consultations on other aspects of this Bill, although we are not expecting to see the Bill receive Royal Assent or any subsequent changes until 2026. 

If you have any questions on any issues covered in this blog, please contact me.  

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