Our 14 October e-update, "Automatic For The People: The Impact For Employers Of Auto-Enrolment Provisions", highlighted the impending requirements for UK employers to automatically enrol workers into a qualifying pension scheme.

It now is understood that employers with fewer than 40 employees are to be given a year longer to implement the auto-enrolment regulations, and that this will be confirmed in the Chancellor's autumn statement on 29 November.  We understand that their implementation date will be pushed back until October 2014.

This is in the context of continued calls for the auto-enrolment implementation dates to be delayed, with a view to allowing employers more time to get to grips with their obligations.

In addition, many have expressed concerns regarding anticipated levels of employee opt-outs, due to ongoing economic conditions and lack of communication with employees.

Any delay would be in the hope of improvement in those conditions and would allow smaller employers, at least, more time in which to engage with their employees.

© MacRoberts 2011

Disclaimer

The material contained in this article is of the nature of general comment only and does not give advice on any particular matter. Recipients should not act on the basis of the information in this e-update without taking appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.