Today marks the soft launch of the Government’s National Living Wage campaign.
The campaign is aimed at ensuring employers are aware of and comply with the new legal requirement. It is also designed to ensure eligible workers know that they are entitled to the NLW, and what to do if they are not being paid the correct amount.
This ‘soft launch’ phase, from now until mid-January, is focused on making sure that employers know about the NLW, know when it is coming, and what they should do to prepare their businesses for it.
So are Norfolk employers prepared – do they know when it is coming, and what they should do to prepare their businesses for it?
The Government has advised four simple steps for employers to take – as soon as possible – to make sure that they are ready.
- Know the correct minimum rate of pay -£7.20per hour for staffaged 25 and over
- Find out which members of your staff are eligible for this new rate
- Update the company payroll in time forApril 1, 2016
- Tell staff about any changes as soon as possible
The Government has provided a toolkit, which should give employers the information and assets they need to ensure that employers and employees know about the National Living Wage.
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“It is important that all businesses, both large and small, understand the new National Minimum Wage regulations and take the necessary steps to ensure they are compliant by 01 April 2016.
“The NLW will leave some businesses with a large increase in wage bills to adapt to over the coming months. The Chamber will continue to call on politicians to recognise that the UK economy is still fragile and to heed the Low Pay Commission’s considered recommendations for future wage rates, if they are to reassure businesses who may be looking at their recruitment plans for the year ahead.”
