Auto enrolment advice session to be held for firms

Legislation changes will make it compulsory for all firms to enrol eligible workers into a pension scheme by 2017, with those with fewer than 50 employees beginning to be affected by the new rules.

The event will be hosted at Russell New, in Shoreham Road, Steyning, on Thursday, April 23.

Partner Sylvia Spencer said: “All employers have one thing in common – they must face up to the requirements of auto-enrolment.

“They must prepare for the impact on their business, on themselves as business owners and on their employees.

“Having helped some of our clients through auto-enrolment already, it is clear that the preparatory stages leading up to the day that the system goes live require a significant amount of time and energy.”

The breakfast seminar aims to assist businesses of all sizes across the Herald and Gazette area to gain an idea of what is involved in the process.

It will help ensure smaller employers are prepared and ready for what lies ahead.

Auto-enrolment is being phased in, having started in 2012 with the largest UK employers.

Ms Spencer said: “A company’s staging date may seem a long time away as yet, but experience tells us that a year is a reasonable lead time to get up and running, so it is ideal to think ahead about whom they will use to advise on this, and generally to get to know the subject.”

Russell New is a firm of business, tax and charity advisers.

It specialises in providing services to small and medium- sized businesses, private clients, trusts and charities.

To register for the event, visit www.russellnew.com/events/ or contact Natalie Boyd at [email protected]

The event will start at 8am.

Russell New is running the event alongside HR specialists from Albourne-based Sherrards Employment Law Solicitors and chartered financial planners Aspect8 from Horsham.

Katie Harmer, of Aspect8, said: “Auto-enrolment can seem like a daunting undertaking, particularly for smaller companies. However, with some specialist help and advice it needn’t be so.

“We aim to provide a smooth process in selecting and setting up an appropriate pension and will be there to hold the employer’s hand through their staging date.”