National Minimum Wage
Nearly all workers in the UK above the compulsory school leaving age are legally entitled to be paid a minimum amount per hour. Each year this rate is reviewed and any increases take place in October.
The minimum amount that has to be paid per hour to workers depends on their age. From October 2010 the rates are:
- For young people above school leaving age and under 18 - £3.64
- For young people aged 18-20 - £4.92
- For people aged 21 and above - £5.93
There are some workers for whom the minimum wage may not apply, including au pairs, workers in the armed forces, agricultural workers, Apprentices under the age of 19 and Apprentices over the age of 19 who are in the first year of an Apprenticeship.
You can get more information on the minimum wage on the Business Link website. In addition The Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) has produced a guide to the national minimum wage.
If you employ staff in an agricultural business, their rates of pay and working conditions are set by the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB). You can find more information about this on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.
