Minimum Wage

Entitlement to the NMW does not depend on a job title but on whether the arrangement they have with an organisation makes them a worker for NMW purposes. Where an individual is a worker – and no exemption applies – then they must be paid at least the NMW

The full version of the guidance can be found here – www.businesslink.gov.uk/nmw

Anyone who feels they have had their National Minimum Wage rights abused is encouraged to contact the Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0800 917 2368 for free and confidential advice.

From 1st october 2011, new National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates will come into force. The NMW applies to nearly all workers in England, Scotland & Wales and sets hourly rates below which you must not allow pay to fall.

For pay reference periods beginning on or after 1st October 2011, you will have to pay all eligible workers the following:

• £6.08 an hour to Adult workers aged 21 and above
• £4.98 an hour to workers aged 18-20
• £3.68 an hour to workers aged 16-17
• £2.60 an hour to Apprentices

The daily accomodation offset.

You will be able to offset from the NMW an amount of £4.73 per day for each day that you provide a worker with living accomodation.

For professional & impartial Business advice contact Janette Whitney at Award Winning Business Consultants, Janette Whitney & Associates on 01403 733671 or email jw@whitneyassocs.co.uk

Minimum Wage

From 1st october 2011, new National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates will come into force. The NMW applies to nearly all workers in England, Scotland & Wales and sets hourly rates below which you must not allow pay to fall.

For pay reference periods beginning on or after 1st October 2011, you will have to pay all eligible workers the following:

• £6.08 an hour to Adult workers aged 21 and above
• £4.98 an hour to workers aged 18-20
• £3.68 an hour to workers aged 16-17
• £2.60 an hour to Apprentices

The daily accomodation offset.

You will be able to offset from the NMW an amount of £4.73 per day for each day that you provide a worker with living accomodation.

What happens if workers are underpaid?

Employers who do not pay the correct minimum wage will be issued with an fine of up to max £5000. You will have to pay this even if the underpayment was a mistake !

The most serious cases could be subject to an unlimited fine.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are responsible for enforcing the law on the national minimum wage and they will follow up complaints from workers and other sources.

For professional & impartial Business advice contact Janette Whitney at Award Winning Business Consultants, Janette Whitney & Associates on 01403 733671 or email jw@whitneyassocs.co.uk

There’s lots of government legislation in place to ensure that UK businesses meet the minimum standards required to minimize their impact on the environment.

How these regulations will affect you will depend on the size and type of your business, as well as the sector you operate in and the process you have in place.

For more detailed information on how these regulations might affect your business, visit the NetRegs website:  

What to do First

 If you’re not sure where to start with going green, then getting an environmental consultant to come in and spend some time with your business to understand where it can save energy is a worthwhile investment.

It can save you as much as 10% through no-cost measures and generally businesses can save over 20%.

Funding

The good news is that there are various grants and soft loans available to businesses to help you comply with these regulations

One such scheme recently announced is a £4 million loan fund to help South East based businesses improve their sustainability.

Backed with £3.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund, SEEDA’s new South East Sustainability Loan Fund is expected to support around 2,500 companies across the region.

They will be able to lend between £20,000 and £200,000 to reduce waste, develop sustainable technologies, and focus on sustainable procurement.

Participating firms will also undergo training and environmental audits “in order to establish methods that boost profits through energy reduction”.

 To help you to keep up to date with the many different grant schemes available to your business visit www.greengrantsmachine.co.uk.

Need help with funding for your business?

 Then please contact me at Janette Whitney & Associates on 01403 733671 for professional, impartial advice & Solutions.