Pay and the National Minimum Wage

Know Your Rights

The National Minimum Wage was introduced on April 1 1999 and in the following 22 years, it has transformed the UK’s labour market.

In the first 20 years of its existence, HM Revenue and Customs’ dedicated National Minimum Wage team helped over 835,000 workers recover almost £119 million in unpaid wages.

Joining journalist Andreea Salvage for this episode is Barry Greene, from the NMW team. Barry gives listeners a rundown of everything you need to know about the National Minimum Wage, why hand car washes are an area of concern for him and his team, and some of the common errors to avoid.

You can check the current National Minimum Wage rates here: https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Read more about who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage: https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage/who-gets-the-minimum-wage

Unsure if you are getting the National Minimum Wage? Check that you are being paid correctly here: https://www.gov.uk/am-i-getting-minimum-wage

ACAS provides advice for both employees and employers, including around the National Minimum Wage: https://www.acas.org.uk/pay-and-wages

You can call ACAS on 0300 123 1100. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

There’s also the option of reporting National Minimum Wage breaches to HM Revenue and Customs directly: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints

More information on how to apply to join the Responsible Car Wash Scheme can be found here: https://rcws.org.uk/