National Minimum Wage
The minimum wage is the minimum amount of pay that workers aged
18 years or older are entitled to.
The current rates are:
£5.52 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
A development rate of £4.60 per hour for:
workers aged 18 - 21 years inclusive
workers aged 22 years and above, starting a new job
with a new employer and doing accredited training (a course
approved by the Government to obtain a vocational qualification)
£3.40 per hour for 16 and 17 year olds (above compulsory
leaving age*)
NB: 16 and 17 year old apprentices will be 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
Employers have to pay their workers the minimum wage for every
hour they work or a fair piece rate set at 120% of the minimum
wage.
