subject: Employment Law Solicitors And The Nmw [print this page] The National Minimum Wage is going to increase in the UK from next month and employment law solicitors are warning that companies must be prepared. The alterations will impact on the working lives of many of the lowest paid workers and the youngest workers in the country as well as their eomployers. The main advice is to make sure that companies are ready now otherwise they risk costly legal proceedings being brought against them.
Both employment law solicitors and workers' rights groups have been happy to see the new, higher levels of pay which they claim will make life fairer and more affordable for thousands of workers in the United Kingdom. One facet of the legislation which has been widely welcomed is the reduction from 22 to 21 of the qualifiying age for the highest level of pay. This entitles those aged 21 and over to earn 5.93 per hour. Employees aged 18 to 20 must earn at least ٢.92. And 16 and 17 year olds who have left compulsory education can earn 3.64 an hour. Obviously, there are some exceptions to the legislation. One of the main things that employment law solicitors want people to realise is that interns are entitled to be paid the NMW.
Amongst the changes to the legislation is the introduction for the first time of a minimum wage for apprentices. Those under 19 must earn 2.50 an hour. This rate also applies to older apprentices who are in their first year of training.
According to employment law solicitors, trainees and interns must also be paid the minimum wage. Indeed, the minimum wage applies to almost all UK workers who are older than compulsory school leaving age. This is regardless of how often they are paid or by what means. The legislation applied to both full and part time workers.
The advice from employment law solicitors is that the only people who are not entitled to the NMW are self-employed, students on work experience lasting less than a year, prisoners, members of the armed forces and people taking part in certain government work experience schemes. It is most certainly advisable, say employment law solicitors to be aware of the law and to prepare for it as a way of preventing potentially very costly tribunal claims in the future.
