 |
 |
Wages and employment rights
Wages, Apprenticeship and training pay, Minimum wage, Wages calculator, Employment rights, Advice and support if things go wrong at work, Useful employment rights websites and helplines
Wages
| |  | It’s often difficult to say exactly what you should be earning in a particular job. Your wage could vary according to your age, your employer or the town where you work. It may also depend on whether you’re training, the qualifications you have and your previous experience. | | | | Earnings are usually quoted before deductions for tax and national insurance (and maybe other things). This is known as the “gross” rate. The amount left after deductions is known as the “net” rate. | | | | You can get a rough idea of possible earnings by looking at the various job articles at www.connexions-somerset.org.uk/azcareers/index.html | | | | Some industries (such as agriculture and horticulture) have agreed rates for the job. Others have no such agreement (meaning pay can vary between different employers) |
Apprenticeship and training pay
| | | Sometimes there are agreed rates for certain stages of an apprenticeship. This means you may get pay increases when you have a birthday, achieve a qualification or reach a certain standard. | | | | Minimum wage rules do not apply to all stages of an apprenticeship. 16 to 18 year old apprentices are exempt from the minimum wage. | | | | Apprentices aged 19-25, who are in the first 12 months of their apprenticeship, are not entitled to the minimum wage until the second year of their apprenticeship. | | | | Pay may vary depending on your “status” as an apprentice. There is a general agreement that "employed" apprentices should be paid a minimum of £80 per week for a 35-hour week. | | | | Further advice can be obtained from the minimum wage helpline on 0845 6000 678. | | | | Some young people train with a business or organisation without being employed by it. If this is a programme-led apprenticeship (PLA) you might be entitled to an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) of £10, £20 or £30 a week. This depends on your household income so not everyone qualifies.
| | | | If you are doing e2e you should recieve the maximum £30 per week EMA. | | | | For more about EMA ring the helpline on 0800 121 8989 or visit www.direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn.
|
Minimum wage
The following gives the basics. For more detail contact the minimum wage helpline (0845 6000 678) or go to www.direct.gov.uk/nmw
Amounts quoted are current from October 2007 to October 2008. Information applies to employed people (but not the self-employed).
Minimum Wage for 16 and 17 year olds
| | | currently £3.40 per hour.
| | | | does not apply to 16-year-olds who are not yet eligible to leave school.
| | | | does not apply to 16 and 17 year old apprentices. |
Minimum Wage for 18 - 21 year olds
| | | currently £4.60 per hour. | | | | does not apply to 18 year old apprentices.
| | | | only applies to apprentices over 19 from the second year of their apprenticeship. |
Minimum Earning Level for Employed Apprentices
| | | minimum wage only applies to apprentices over 19 (and only then from the second year of their apprenticeship).
| | | | for all other employed apprentices there is a minimum earning level of £80 a week (£2.29 per hour for a 35-hour week). This is not part of the national minimum wage.
|
Minimum wage rates from October 2008: £3.53 per hour for 16-17 year olds; £4.77 for 18-21 year olds.
Wages calculator
Wages and salaries can be quoted as hourly, weekly, monthly or yearly rates. This section gives you an idea of how to make comparisons between these different rates. In each case a 40 hour week is assumed and all amounts are “gross” (before deductions for tax, national insurance, etc)
| Hourly rate | Weekly rate (40 hours) | Monthly salary | Yearly salary | | £3.00 | £120 | £520 | £6,240 | | £4.00 | £160 | £693 | £8,320 | | £5.00 | £200 | £867 | £10,400 | | £6.00 | £240 | £1040 | £12,480 | | £7.00 | £280 | £1213 | £14,560 |
| Yearly salary | Monthly salary | Weekly rate (40 hours) | Hourly rate | | £7,000 | £583 | £135 | £3.37 | | £8,000 | £667 | £154 | £3.85 | | £10,000 | £833 | £192 | £4.81 | | £12,000 | £1000 | £231 | £5.77 | | £15,000 | £1250 | £288 | £7.21 |
Employment rights
How employment laws help you at work
There are laws that protect your rights at work. These are mainly designed to protect you from:
| | | unscrupulous employers | | | | hazardous conditions | | | | discrimination |
Employment law covers such things as:
| | | contracts of employment | | | | pay, hours and holidays | | | | dismissal | | | | redundancy | | | | trade union rights | | | | health and safety | | | | discrimination (based on gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age) | | | | the age you can start work (and the type of work you can do) |
Key employment law includes the Employment Rights Act, Health and Safety at Work Act, Race Relations Act, Sex Discrimination Act, Equal Pay Act and the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations.
Advice and support if things go wrong at work
| | | Your local Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) can give advice on employment including terms and conditions of employment, dismissal, redundancy and discrimination. Most CABs also provide representation at employment tribunals and hearings. For local bureaux see Your Town/Area or www.citizensadvice.org.uk | | | | Connexions Somerset can also give you advice and support on work matters. Contact your local Connexions centre or speak to your Connexions personal adviser or employment and training adviser |
Useful employment rights websites and helplines
Direct Gov www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/index.htm: employment rights information from the UK government
ACAS www.acas.org.uk: employment issues helpline from Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (helpline 08457 47 47 47)
Advice Guide www.adviceguide.org.uk: basic advice and information on your rights from Citizen Advice Bureaux
Working Time Regulations www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/working-time-regs/index.html : detail about hours, rest breaks and holidays
TUC www.tuc.org.uk and www.worksmart.org.uk: information and advice on rights at work from the Trade Union Congress
Young Worker www.young-worker.co.uk: aimed at young people who are taking part in work experience programmes or who are starting work for the first time.
SKILL www.skill.org.uk: information from the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities (helpline 0800 328 5050)
The Disability Alliance www.disabilityalliance.org: useful disabilities website (rights advice helpline 020 7247 8763)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) www.equalityhumanrights.com - deals with rights concerning disability, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion and belief.
EHRC helpline for race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and belief issues: 0845 604 6610; disability 08457 622 633
|
|
|
