Whilst we are all distracted at present by the ongoing pandemic, it is important to remember that key changes in employment law are still going ahead.
National Minimum Wage and Living Wages have risen as follows:
| Year | 25 and over | 21 to 24 | 18 to 20 | Under 18 | Apprentice |
April 2020 (current rate) | £8.72 | £8.20 | £6.45 | £4.55 | £4.15 |
April 2019 to March 2020 | £8.21 | £7.70 | £6.15 | £4.35 | £3.90 |
You will need to review all hourly rates and also ensure that any low salaried employees are still receiving the minimum payments outlined above. Salaried employees are not exempt from minimum wage requirements.
If you have employees who have been furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, they do not need to receive the national minimum wage or living wage whilst on furlough leave. If you require them to complete any training then this will need to be topped up to applicable minimum wage.
They will receive 80% of their usual salary as of 28 February 2020 or if they receive variable pay, salary will be calculated based on the higher of:
- the same month’s earning from the previous year
- average monthly earnings from the 2019-20 tax year.
You can find more information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and how to furlough employees here or on the GOV.UK website.
If you have any concerns about whether you are paying minimum wage correctly, or you are an employee and do not believe you are being paid correctly, please get in touch with our expert employment law and HR team on 0114 303 2300 or email [email protected]
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