My son has just turned 16 and works in a local cafe weekends and school holidays, he is however only getting £1.50 per hour!!!
His manager reckons that because he hasn`t actually left school he does have to pay the minimum wage for 16 year olds. Is that right?
2006-10-22 07:05:30 · 12 answers · asked by jriiselfc 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The law is that the minimum wage is from 16, not from leaving school, right?
2006-10-22 07:09:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As I knew it the minimum wage didn't start until you were 18, and went up at 21. Gordon B has found you the correct answer though. Seeing as your son has only just turned 16, and it is October, your son is not entitled to a minimum wage until the last Friday of June 2007. But he is then entitled to it, whether he leaves school or not (so if the manager said exactly what your wrote: his statement was wrong).
Personally, I would advise looking for another job. Your local supermarket should employ 16 year olds for weekend and evening jobs (I got one at 17). They paid a decent wage. As I remember they paid approx minimum wage for 18 year olds to under 18s, and minimum wage for 21 year olds when you were 18-21. Have a look there instead.
2006-10-22 14:17:03 · answer #2 · answered by Steve-Bob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have found this and from reading, it looks like the employer is correct as the minimum cumpulsary school age goes from end of june. There is a helpline number on this site so I would advise to ring them and they will be able to tell the law.
16 and 17 year olds rate
The Government accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendations for a new rate for 16 and 17 year olds (above compulsory school leaving age)* in their 2004 report.
£3.00 per hour from 1 October 2004. This will increase to £3.30 in October 2006.
NB: 16 and 17 year old apprentices are exempt from the young workers rate.
*Compulsory School Age
In England and Wales: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the last Friday of June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.
In Northern Ireland: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the 30th June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.
In Scotland: pupils whose 16th birthday falls between 1st March and 30th September may not leave before the 31st May of that year. Pupils aged 16 on or between 1st October and the last day of February may not leave until the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year.
Fair Piece Rates
From October 2004, the Government proposed that employers have to pay their workers the minimum wage for every hour they work or a fair piece rate initially set at 100% of the minimum wage. The rate was increased to 120% of the minimum wage in April 2005 at which point most homeworkers will receive the minimum wage.
2006-10-22 14:12:55 · answer #3 · answered by Fran T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
£1.50 an hour. I would not even get out of bed for that. Technically they are not breaking the law - but they are certainly exploiting a minor. If the place was a charity then I would be ok with it but if it is a cafe then they are being misers and, be be blunt, gits.
I would actually write an article for the local newspaper about this and make sure the whole town knows - if he gets sacked then he could get a better job elsewhere easily if he is a good worker, and the bad publicity may make his employers keep him on at an increased rate of pay.
If you lend him the money he can probably join a trade union and get some worker's rights on his side.
2006-10-22 14:19:45 · answer #4 · answered by monkeymanelvis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends....
An employer must pay their workers a minimum amount as defined by law. This is called the National Minimum wage.
There are three levels of minimum wage, and the rates from 1st October 2006 are:
* £5.35 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
* A development rate of £4.45 per hour for
o workers aged 18 - 21 years inclusive
* 3.30 per hour which applies to all workers under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age**.
Compulsory School age
In England and Wales: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the last Friday of June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.
In Scotland: pupils whose 16th birthday falls between 1 March and 30 September may not leave before the 31 May of that year. Pupils aged 16 on or between 1 October and the last day of February may not leave until the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year.
In Northern Ireland: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the 30th June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.
2006-10-22 14:09:01 · answer #5 · answered by Gordon B 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, the manager is breaking the law. The minimum wage for 16 and 17 year olds is £3.30 per hour (as of 1st October 2006).
2006-10-22 14:09:08 · answer #6 · answered by Zam 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think: minimum wage starts at 18 and there's a higher minimum rate once you reach 21.
in saying that £1.50 is a miserly wage and if he were my son I would encourage him to look for another job where he will get a more respectable wage. I would suggest £3, minimum.
2006-10-22 14:11:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Law now states that 16-17 year olds must get £3.30 per hour minimum. When I started work at 16 (in 2001) there were no restrictions.
His employer is breaking the law.
2006-10-23 01:14:08 · answer #8 · answered by slashjunior2003 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah they should be paying minimum wage get him to quit or call up the employees advice thing look it up
2006-10-22 14:08:51 · answer #9 · answered by -x-caroline-x- 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Extortion, dont know if legal, knowing this country probz legal. That stinks.
2006-10-22 14:33:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋