National Minimum Wage Updates
- October 17, 2016
- Posted by: Hansen Sweeney
- Categories: News, Updates
As of 1st October 2016 the new National Minimum Wage rates came into effect for everyone under the age of 25. For anyone aged 25 and over there is no increase in their £7.20 minimum wage as this was increased in April 2016 in the new National Living Wage.
From 1st October 2016 the new rates are as follows:
To qualify for the minimum wage you must be at least school leaving age by the last Friday in June of the school year they turn 16.
Contracts are not legally binding if payments fall below the NMW or NLW.
Workers are also entitled if they meet any of the following criteria:
- part-time
- casual labourers, for example someone hired for one day
- agency workers
- workers and homeworkers paid by the number of items they make
- apprentices
- trainees, workers on probation
- disabled workers
- agricultural workers
- foreign workers
- seafarers
- offshore workers
There are however some workers that do NOT qualify for the NMW. These are:
- self-employed people — running their own business
- company directors
- volunteers or voluntary workers
- workers on a government employment programme, such as the Work Programme
- members of the armed forces
- family members of the employer living in the employer’s home
- non-family members living in the employer’s home who share in the work and leisure activities, are treated as one of the family and aren’t charged for meals or accommodation, for example au pairs
- workers younger than school leaving age (usually 16)
- higher and further education students on a work placement up to 1 year
- workers on government pre-apprenticeships schemes
- people on the following European Union programmes: Leonardo da Vinci, Youth in Action, Erasmus, Comenius
- people working on a Jobcentre Plus Work trial for 6 weeks
- share fishermen
- prisoners
- people living and working in a religious community
Apprenticeships
£3.40 per hour on the following basis: when they are under 19 OR they are in their 1st year of apprenticeship.
If the apprentice is aged 19 or over AND in their second year or later then they are to receive the normal minimum wage for their age.
Further Detail
More detail on NMW can be found here: www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
As an employer, if you are unsure about whether you should be paying NMW or the NLW then please get in touch and we will be happy to advise you.