In 2020, the Government announced that they would reintroduce “Naming and Shaming” for organisations found to have breached minimum wage law. While this has not yet been implemented due to COVID-19, we expect that it may be implemented in 2021.

Avoiding a breach of Minimum Wage Law may seem straightforward but there are many pitfalls which could cause employers to inadvertently break the law. These include: where deductions have been made from pay, using the wrong calculation period, or failing to pay for travel time.

These, and many more, common pitfalls could result significant reputational damage due to “Naming and Shaming”, as well ask financial pressure due to hefty HMRC fines and the requirement to immediately pay back all monies owed to employees.

This session will help you become aware of the common pitfalls which often result in wages dropping below the legal Minimum Wage, and how to ensure your payment records are legally compliant should a HMRC check be carried out.

HMRC officers have the right to carry out checks with employers at any time and are particularly likely to investigate if a worker makes a complaint to HMRC about being potentially underpaid.

This session will cover:

• The current rates of minimum wage and national living wage, as well as highlighting the change in age bracket to qualify for national living wage.
• The current rates of accommodation offsets, parental and family leave and sick pay.
• Common pitfalls which may bring staff payments to below the minimum wage, and how to handle/avoid them.
• Understand the penalties for breaching Minimum Wage law, such as the potential risk for being on the government’s Name and Shame list
• Be aware of the differences for apprentices and different age groups
• What counts as paid working time, such as for staff who are on standby or waiting for work.

Who should attend?

• HR staff who want to know the latest updates on Minimum Wage Law

• Line Managers who are likely the first port of call for employees regarding their wages

• Small to medium business owners

Meet the expert:

Jenni Barkley is a HR Consultant with Think People Consulting, who joined our team in 2020. Jenni is an experienced HR professional having worked in an ER specialist role across the UK and ROI. This covered industries ranging from call centre, retail, third sector and manufacture through to corporate level. Jenni currently holds Associate membership of the CIPD.

Eligibility: This event is open to clients and potential clients of Think People Consulting.