Employer's Law Advice
National Minimum Wage & The Working Time Regulations. These two important paragraphs of the legislation apply to all employees in the UK. They affect the minimum legal amount of pay and of paid holiday entitlement of every employee.
National Minimum Wage (NMW)
The current NMW is:
- £3.40 per hour (gross) for employees aged 16-17
- £4.60 per hour (gross) for employees aged 18-21
- £5.52 per hour (gross) for employees aged 22 and over.
It is a criminal offence for an employer to pay below the NMW, carrying a fine on conviction of up to £5,000. Employees who live as part of the family household and are not provided with separate accommodation are excluded from the NMW.
If you provide your PA with separate accommodation there is an offset allowance of up to £30.10 per 7-day week.
The Working Time Regulations, the UK interpretation of the European Working Time Directive grants all employees the following statutory rights:
- A minimum of four weeks paid holiday per year
- Rest breaks
- PAs and all other domestic employees are however exempt from the measures concerning working hours