The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has launched a new step-by-step guide to help small businesses get ready for their automatic enrolment duties.
According to TPR the online guide has been written specifically for employers with between one and 50 staff.
The guide which is broken down into 11 steps, considers the legal requirements and what employers need to do to comply with their obligations.
Executive director for automatic enrolment Charles Counsell said:
'We are determined to do all we can to reach out to all small and micro businesses preparing for their automatic enrolment duties. We want to make the process as simple as possible so that employers can avoid the risk of non compliance.'
'Our new online 11-step guide is a key part of a wide package of measures we are rolling out to give more than a million employers all the information they need, written and produced in a way that makes sense to them.'
'Our message to employers is ensure you know when your automatic enrolment duties begin and start planning in good time. The regulator's website should be the first port of call for all employers and their advisers as it offers essential information about each task an employer will need to accomplish in order to comply and avoid penalties.'
Fines
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) issued 166 Fixed Penalty Notices of £400 to employers who failed to meet their obligations in the last quarter of 2014.
The number of employers approaching the date when they must confirm that they have complied with new workplace pensions duties (known as a declaration of compliance) is now beginning to rise significantly as auto enrolment is rolled out across all employers. In future months, TPR expects to see more employers who, despite the message to prepare early, leave it too late or do not comply at all.
The Pensions Regulator's Director of automatic enrolment, Charles Counsell, said,
'My message to all employers is that failing to declare within five months of your staging date means you risk being fined, which is why we recommend you start your automatic enrolment planning and preparation 12 months before staging.
It appears some medium employers waited for a prompt from the regulator before completing their automatic enrolment duties. Employers must complete all their duties including making their declaration of compliance to The Pensions Regulator.'
Experience to date also shows that employers should begin gathering the information they need to complete their declaration of compliance well in advance of their deadline.'
If you would like help with Auto Enrolment please do get in touch.
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