Advice on Minimum Wage Leigh

The Minimum Wage refers to the lowest hourly wage or salary that the owner of the business may legally pay workers or employees. But just how does the minimum wage work and what are your rights as a worker?

The law requires that the majority of workers over school leaving age in the United Kingdom must receive a minimum level of pay, also known as the National Minimum Wage. There are some exclusions, however, which include the self-employed, members of the armed forces, prisoners working under prison rules and a few other; a complete list of people excluded from receiving minimum wage is available at the website HMRC.gov.

As from October 2009, workers aged 22 years and older are required by law to receive a minimum wage of £5.80 per hour. All workers under the age of 18, who are no longer required to be in education, which is to say they are 16 or over, must receive a minimum of £3.57 per hour from their employer.

So who protects you, the worker, to ensure that your pay is no lower than the minimum wage? HMRC enforce the national minimum wage. They respond to complaints from employees who feel they are not being paid the minimum amount required by law. HMRC have set up a telephone line and a network of compliance officers who are dedicated to weeding out employers who break the law by underpaying their staff.

If you believe that your employer is underpaying you, a visit to the HMRC website should put your mind at rest and allow you to decide your next course of action.