National living wage
From 1 April 2016, the UK Government is introducing a new minimum wage rate, the “national living wage”, cuurrently £7.50 per hour for people aged 25 and over.
The national living wage (NLW) will be compulsory and the Low Pay Commission (LPC) will recommend future rises, with the Government aiming for it to reach 60% of median hourly earnings by 2020.
The national living wage is different to the Living Wage, a voluntary pay rate independently set by the Living Wage Foundation. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK.
Nearly half of zero-hours workers want regular shifts
Almost half of people on zero-hours contracts want to work more hours and in a more regular shift pattern, but...
TUC study highlights low earnings and slams ‘sham’ self-employment
Almost half of self-employed people aged over 25 are earning less than the minimum wage, according to new research.
The...
Record number of workers on national minimum wage being underpaid
HM Revenue and Customs identified a record £15.6m in national minimum wage underpayment in 2017/18.
More than 200,000 workers were...
Low-income families’ earnings do not cover basic needs
Families with two parents working full time at the national living wage are 11% (£49 per week) short of the...
Card Factory among minimum wage underpayment employers
Card Factory, Odeon & UCI Cinema Group and Wyevale Garden Centres have been named among 239 employers found to have...
MP to challenge ‘ageist’ national living wage in Commons
A Labour MP is urging the government to end the exclusion of under 25s from the national living wage after...
National living wage rises will hit head office, not shop floor
Rises in the national living wage will cause job losses at retail head offices, rather than in customer-facing roles, a...
Hermes drivers ruled as workers, not self-employed
An employment tribunal has ruled that a group of Hermes couriers are workers, rather than self-employed.
Employment status
Amazon delivery...
Pay awards fail to rise above inflation
The median pay rise awarded by employers was 2.5% over the past three months – a level that has remained...
Carphone Warehouse closes stores as Pret staff get £1000 bonus
Carphone Warehouse is to close 92 stores after the retailer became the latest to issue a profit warning, amid continuing...
MPs press for action over Sainsbury’s pay and contract review
Prime Minister Theresa May has been urged to take action over an “array of deplorable decisions” that MPs say will...
More than 200,000 workers to get back pay after NMW investigations
HM Revenue and Customs has secured back pay for more than 200,000 workers who did not receive the minimum wage,...
Wagamama and Marriott Hotels failed to pay national minimum wage
Wagamama, Marriott Hotels and TGI Fridays are among almost 180 employers that have been named by the Government for failing...
Rising national living wage puts routine jobs at risk of automation
The rising national living wage could leave some routine jobs at risk of automation, according to a report by the...
What you might have missed: Christmas and New Year round-up
The first day back at work for many is an inevitable struggle after a much-deserved break over Christmas. But what...
