AIBU to hate minimum wage differences?

[Justwantajob]

So I recently had a job interview, went great me and one other got a trial shift. Done the trial and the young teen got it, the boss had seemed surprised by job at the interview. I'm over the age for the top of minimum wage. I know that there is other aspects that meant I may not have got the job but my OH is a manager and said that I probably didn't get it because the wage difference in ages (it's a small business about 4 stores UK wide).


Year 25 and over 21 to 24 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice
April 2018 (current rate) £7.83 £7.38 £5.90 £4.20 £3.70
April 2019 £8.21 £7.70 £6.15 £4.35 £3.90

How is this still a thing an under 18 can get married could have kids and even there own place yet get 4.20 and hour yet people like my cousin in his 40s living with his mum no kids get at minimum 7.83 and of course someone is going to pick the cheaper option for a job

[Desmondo2016]

I think the majority of firms want the right person for the job regardless of age. Unless we're talking really basic production line type work when personality and skill don't have such a big impact.

My daughter got a mini wage job at 18 but asked for her prev salary to be matched and which was the over 25 rate, and she still got the job.

I am always shocked at how poor the apprenticeship rate is for 16-18 year olds tho. Seems like slave labour!

[Raspberry10]

I absolutely hate it. If you are doing the same job at 19 or at 24 as someone who is 28 why should they earn more than you? There shouldn’t be artibary ages for these jobs, equal pay for the same work regardless of gender or age.

[callymarch]

My daughter has been working as an apprentice in a riding school since she was 16, now nearly 19 and still on £4 an hour for a. 40 hour week. Looking forward to that pay rise when she hits 19

[Littlepond]

It’s tricky though because if there weren’t the different minimum wages then the odds would be stacked against young people starting out in work. I think if there were only one minimum wage rate then unemployment among young people would increase hugely - because there would be no advantages to a company hiring them over someone with more experience in the workplace.

[anniehm]

Whilst yes they are doing the same work, they will have more work experience (even in unrelated sectors there's transferable skills ) and of course life experience. My dd felt it was unfair but I pointed out her colleagues had 5-6 years under their belts and were paid only a little over minimum wage for their age

[Pinkprincess1978]

I remember in my first job many years ago being annoyed that I had gone the job for a year (I was about 17/18 and was paid £2 per house then a new woman in her 40s started work and automatically got £2.50 an hour. She wasn't very good and I had to train her. It felt wrong.

Of course as an adult I can see that in theory she brought loads of other experience with her (that didn't seem to make her any better at her job but there you go).

I like a pp's point that it makes younger people more desirable to employee. Do you know that employers don't have to pay Ers NI for under 21's either? It's another incentive to employ younger people.

[Raspberry10]

I’m 47 (so no age bias here) and I just think it’s an excuse to pay less to young people because they won’t complain/take anyone to court for ageism. Can you imagine how much people would kick off if you said to the over 55’s they got less because they couldn’t keep up with new technology to do their jobs and it graded down payment wise until they were 65.

[Justwantajob]

I don't think it would stop teens getting jobs the vast majority of weekend staff are teens and it's a good way for them to build experience but the wage jump is stupid especially for apprentice jobs how are you supposed to live on that. I've been out of work a long time but do have retail experience, just navigating 0 hour contracts and being more expensive to employ. I study part time but won't be qualified for at least another 2 years.

[Mmmhmmm]

The minimum wage difference was one of the most shocking things I learned after moving to the UK. It's unfair and archaic.

[x2boys]

How is this even allowed surely it's discrimination ?people fought for years for wage equality for men and women get it's ok to pay people less because they are younger ?

[Walkingdeadfangirl]

Apprenticeships are essentially still education, they are learning and are lucky to be even paid. Why do they get money at 17 when my DC in sixth form do not.

18 yo does not normally have children a mortgage and all the costs of a family, so of course older people should be paid a higher wage.

There is a limited pot of money and it would be silly to pay a 16 yo the same as a 30 yo.

[olderthanyouthink]

I did an apprenticeship and in some cases it wasn't seen as education (the one that affected me the most was not getting a huge staff family discount on my transport cost)

I wasn't paid minimum wage but doing exactly the same job (minus a couple weeks for college time) as your colleagues for half the pay is a piss take.

And a lot of over 65s don't have a dependent children or a mortgage anymore so with that reasoning they should have a lower rate to... something to incentivise employers to take on older staff?

[Comefromaway]

When a firm takes on an apprentice there is a lot of work involved. You have to set aside staff and time for training, supervision, assessment doing the college paperwork, facilitating meetings with college tutors etc. You are basically providing a training facility for the young person.

[Dutch1e]

I agree with you OP, a fair wage for fair work.

If it is someone's first job, maybe they could earn a smaller wage for the first X hours to allow for the hassle of training in them in normal job ettiquette as well as the actual workplace requirement.

But not for bloody years.