- 19th December 2016
- Posted by: Seatons Solicitors
- Category: Articles, Employment Law
A deal has been made with the Unite union and HMRC which will affect thousands of staff employed at Sports Directs warehouses because the company did not pay them the minimum wage. This seems to be a growing problem in the UK with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills naming and shaming 113 companies found to be not paying the national minimum wage in October 2015.
Am I being paid too little?
These are the national minimum wage rates correct as of April 2016:
| Age | 25+ | 21-24 | 18-20 | <18 | Apprentice |
| Pay rate (per hour) | £7.20 | £6.70 | £5.30 | £3.87 | £3.30 |
There are a number of things you can do if you think you are not being paid the national minimum wage. The following is our advice if you think you are being paid too little.
- Collect evidence
It is important to collect as much evidence as possible, collect pay slips and bank statements which will prove that the wrong amount of money being paid to you.
- Check
There are 113 employers who have already been named and shamed as not providing employees with the pay they should have been. If you are or have been employed by these companies, then you may already be eligible for back pay.
- Speak to us
Here at Seatons we believe that everyone should be paid their fair share. Our employment team have years of experience dealing with a wide range of employee disputes and can guide you on the next steps to take. We also specialise in checking over any correspondence you may want to send to your employers to ensure it is all correct and you are not making things worse for yourself.
Shouldn’t I be paid the national living wage?
In a word, no. The national living wage is an informal benchmark which is promoted by the Living Wage Foundation and recommended by the government. However, it is not legally enforceable which has meant that companies do not have to pay you the living wage and as a rule, do not. There are many companies which do now pay the national living wage. Examples include Oxfam, the National Grid and the Lloyds Banking Group.
Where next?
At Seatons we have a team of legal experts with years of experience of dealing with employment law. Whether you are an employer seeking to ensure that you are correctly handling disputes with employees or an employee who thinks they have been treated unfairly we have the legal expertise to suit.
Please see our pages on employment law issues and how we can help for further information or if you would like a free no obligation chat where we can assess your situation and offer you the best possible advice on the next steps to take call us today for free on 0800 3 10 11 12.