Minimum Wage Rates
Employers are legally required to pay at least the National Minimum Wage to all employees.
The National Minimum Wage rate per hour depends on your age and whether you’re an apprentice - you must be at least school leaving age to get it.
The 2014 rates are as follows:
21 and over: £6.50 per hour
18 to 20: £5.13 per hour
Under 18: £3.79 per hour
Apprentice* £2.73 per hour
*This rate is for apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age.
The rates are usually updated every October, so the current rates apply from October 2014.
Who is entitled to the Minimum Wage?
Workers must be of school leaving age (last Friday in June of the school year they turn 16) or over to get the minimum wage.
Contracts for payments below the minimum wage are not legally binding. The worker is still entitled to the minimum wage.
Workers are also entitled to the minimum wage if they’re:
part-time
casual labourers, eg someone hired for 1 day
agency workers
workers and homeworkers paid by the number of items they make
apprentices
trainees, workers on probation
disabled workers
agricultural workers
foreign workers
seafarers
offshore workers
Apprentices
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:
under 19
over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship
Apprentices over 19 who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the minimum wage rate for their age.
Not entitled to the minimum wage.
The following types of workers are not entitled to the minimum wage:
You also won’t get minimum wage if you’re:
NB: You are classed as doing voluntary work if you can only get certain limited benefits (eg reasonable travel or lunch expenses) and you’re working for a voluntary organisation or associated fund-raising body, statutory body or charity.
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The National Minimum Wage rate per hour depends on your age and whether you’re an apprentice - you must be at least school leaving age to get it.
The 2014 rates are as follows:
21 and over: £6.50 per hour
18 to 20: £5.13 per hour
Under 18: £3.79 per hour
Apprentice* £2.73 per hour
*This rate is for apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age.
The rates are usually updated every October, so the current rates apply from October 2014.
Who is entitled to the Minimum Wage?
Workers must be of school leaving age (last Friday in June of the school year they turn 16) or over to get the minimum wage.
Contracts for payments below the minimum wage are not legally binding. The worker is still entitled to the minimum wage.
Workers are also entitled to the minimum wage if they’re:
part-time
casual labourers, eg someone hired for 1 day
agency workers
workers and homeworkers paid by the number of items they make
apprentices
trainees, workers on probation
disabled workers
agricultural workers
foreign workers
seafarers
offshore workers
Apprentices
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:
under 19
over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship
Apprentices over 19 who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the minimum wage rate for their age.
Not entitled to the minimum wage.
The following types of workers are not entitled to the minimum wage:
- self-employed people running their own business
- company directors
- volunteers or voluntary workers
- workers on a government employment programme, eg the Work Programme
- family members of the employer living in the employer’s home
- non-family members living in the employer’s home who share in the work and leisure activities, are treated as one of the family and aren’t charged for meals or accommodation (eg au pairs)
- workers younger than school leaving age (usually 16)
- higher and further education students on a work placement up to 1 year
- workers on government pre-apprenticeships schemes
- people on the following European Union programmes: Leonardo da Vinci, Youth in Action, Erasmus, Comenius
- people working on a Jobcentre Plus Work trial for 6 weeks
- members of the armed forces
- share fishermen
- prisoners
- people living and working in a religious community
- Work experience and internships
You also won’t get minimum wage if you’re:
- a student doing work experience as part of a higher or further education course
- of compulsory school age
- a volunteer or doing voluntary work
- on a government or European programme
- work shadowing
- Voluntary work
NB: You are classed as doing voluntary work if you can only get certain limited benefits (eg reasonable travel or lunch expenses) and you’re working for a voluntary organisation or associated fund-raising body, statutory body or charity.
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