The new rate levels are as follows:
- £6.70 p.h. - Standard (adult) rate - workers aged 21+ - (up 20p from £6.50)
- £5.30 p.h. - Development rate - workers aged between 18 – 20 (up 17p from £5.13)
- £3.87 p.h. - Young workers rate - workers aged under 18 but above the compulsory school age who are not apprentices (up 8p from £3.79)
- £3.30 p.h. - Apprentice rate - workers aged under 19 or over 19’s in the first year of apprenticeship (up 57p from £2.73)
Remember - The UK government has announced that from April 2016, a mandatory National Living Wage for employees over the age of 25 will be introduced, starting at £7.20 p.h.
Along with the NMW rates increasing, the following relevant employment laws also came into effect:
- Sikh workers who wear turbans are exempt from wearing safety helmets in all workplaces and not just on construction sites (as it was previously) subject to a few various exceptions
- Under the smoke-free legislation, company vehicles must be smoke free unless the vehicle is mainly used for employees private use.
- Drivers of private cars in England will now be banned from smoking in them if they are carrying children under 18 as passengers. You should consider reviewing and revising any smoking and company car policies, as employees using a company car for family purposes will be affected by this new law.
Also, the Government’s new Fit for Work Service (FFW) should be fully operational by autumn. The aim of the service is to help employees return to work following a sickness absence. Occupational health advice can be obtained through the FFW website and telephone helpline. Employers will soon be able to refer an employee for a free occupational health assessment when the employee has been absent from work for at least four weeks. Employers in Scotland can already make referrals. For further details go to http://fitforwork.org/
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