workSMART , from the TUC , report that “ over five million people at work in the UK regularly do unpaid overtime, giving their employers more than £28 billion of free work in 2013 alone. If you're one, why not take some time to reflect on how well (or badly) you're balancing your life? This is one day in the year to make the most of your own time.” And a cursory reminder to employers who might be turning a blind eye to this commitment from their employees, that back in October 2014 the Employment relations Minister, Jo Swinson, reiterated the government’s commitment to enforcing the NMW to ensure everyone who is entitled to it receives it.
This action includes:
increasing the enforcement budget by over £1 million to £9.2 million to increase the number of HMRC compliance officers identifying businesses that exploit workers by paying them below the NMW
naming and shaming businesses that pay their staff below the NMW and forcing them to pay the owed wages to their staff
increasing the penalties employers face for not paying their staff the NMW from £5,000 to £20,000 per worker. This is subject to parliamentary clearance through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill .
National Minimum Wage: some facts and figures bought to you by the Low Pay Commission
11 March 2015
The National Minimum Wage is the UK’s pay floor - designed to protect as many low-paid workers as possible without hurting jobs or the economy.
Did you know?
Micro and small firms account for a fifth (21%) of the total workforce but two fifths (37%) of all minimum wage jobs. Large firms account for two - thirds (65%) of the total workforce but under half of minimum wage jobs (48%). West Lancashire has the highest percentage of minimum wage jobs at 21.4% Mole Valley in Surrey has the lowest % of minimum wage jobs at 0.3%. The Low Pay Commission has produced an interesting fact sheet on the National Minimum Wage.
National Minimum Wage guidance updated for employees who sleep between duties
16 March 2015
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has updated its guidance on calculating the national minimum wage for employees who sleep between duties.
On page 30 of the revised guidance, BIS provides that " employers must ascertain whether a worker is still subject to certain work-related responsibilities whilst asleep, to the extent that they could be deemed to be 'working' ".
Example scenarios of where NMW is both likely and unlikely to apply are also given.
Click here to access the updated guidance.
CIPP Policy News Journal
08/04/2015, Page 242 of 521
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