On 1st April 2016, the National Living Wage became law. From this date employers paid eligible employees, aged 25 and over, at least the new rate of £7.20 per hour.
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You should have seen the increase in your pay automatically from April 1st, if you currently earn less than £7.20 per hour, and are eligible. If you don’t see a difference in pay, you can speak to your employer or get in contact with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service (ACAS) helpline on 0300 123 1100 or visit the ACAS page. Equally, businesses need to update the company payroll in time for 1 April 2016 to make sure they are paying their workers correctly, and communicate the changes to staff as soon as possible.
This was an issue I championed in the previous parliament. We need to ensure that work always pays, and that a hard day's work always mean a fair day's pay. Employers have a duty to look after their employees, and the evidence suggests that this helps businesses as well; by increasing retention, motivation, and profits in the long-term. A link to an article I wrote in the New Statesman about this, can be found here http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/08/guy-opperman-conservative-case-living-wage
The National Living Wage will provide a direct boost to over one million workers in the UK this year – rewarding and providing security for working people. It is a key part of this Government’s plan to continue to move to a higher wage, lower tax, and lower welfare society, building a more productive country, and giving families the security of well-paid work.
For more information you can visit the website: http://bit.ly/1RbKs8Z.