Did you know the minimum wage is changing from 1st April 2024?
The new hourly rates before tax will be as follows:
- 21 and over → £11.44 (this rate will apply to 21 and 22 year olds for the first time!)
- 18-20 → £8.60
- 16-17 and apprentices → £6.40
This amounts to a material increase, particularly for those aged 21 and 22, and hopefully this will help to ensure that people are fairly paid for the work they do. It is a criminal offence for employers to pay an employee below the National Minimum Wage. It is therefore vitally important that all employees are being paid correctly, in accordance with the above changes and that employment contracts are kept up to date. This can create some complexities in practice, particularly where a person is paid piece rates or otherwise based on output, and also in defining what constitutes “working time”. It can also result in confusion if a person is part paid via the provision of accommodation, for example Landlord’s who “live in” the licenced premises in service tenancies.
If you need any assistance with a commercial or employment matter, please contact Alice Truelove on 01604 887455 or by email at alice.truelove@maxengel.co.uk
