To think all ages should be paid the same.

[Potterhead113]

AIBU to think that all age groups from 16 and upwards should be paid the same minimum wage as someone aged 40 for example. I know many young people aged 16-25 who are paid less for the same job as their elder coworkers but they equally pay rent and provide in some cases for children solely from their wages.
I think that all people should be payed the same for the same job. I know a girl who is 17 who has a baby and works 4 days a week for £2 less an hour than someone in their 30s that she works with who does the same job as her.

Blatant age discrimination which is built into benefits as well. The housing benefit rule shocks me the most. You have to be 35 years old before you are entitled to have your own space and not just some scummy room in a shared house. 35! Absolutely buggered if you're the non residential parent but still want to spend time with your kids.

The minimum wage should be the same from 18. If you're new, you're new. Often works against you in some fast paced low paid jobs such as housekeeping or waitressing as you are younger but quicker so therefore do more work for less pay.

I'm glad so many people agree with me. It is blatant age discrimination. I feel sorry for hard working young parents who are trying to provide for their children but are being paid less. No wonder some people decide it's easier to go on benefits.

I think the lower pay should be extended to 25. It would encourage employers to hire more young people.

While I can see a limited rationale in acknowledging that, often, but not always, younger workers will have less experience etc, I am very disappointed that employers try to use this as a blanket excuse.

At 17 I started working part time in a retail job (not my first job). Within a year, I was in a management position with several staff more than twice my age, some of whom had worked there for years and who had been unsuccessful applying for management posts. I may have been under 20, but I was bloody good at that job and would have been furious if there had been an attempt to pay me less because of my age. For lack of experience in the post, even if I was outperforming others (ie incremental pay), fine. For my ability (ie performance pay), fine. But purely on age? Fuck that.

And if we need to create incentives to employ younger workers, why can't that be done through tax reliefs for the employer for example, why penalise the worker?

well, yes. a 25 year old can have 7 years experience on the job, I am sure some employers would be delighted to employ someone like this for less than the minimum wage. We could also scrap the minimum wage entirely... or maybe not.

@coddiwomple - that's not what happens in real life though, especially in small businesses. Most of the 25 yos I know have a broken employment history in low paid job dead end jobs. If wages were lowered they might be given a chance at trying something more worthwhile.

So, if you have the choice between a 16 year old or a 30 year old on the same wage, you'll go for the 30 year old!

Age discrimination is illegal in the UK so you can't hire someone based on the fact that they are younger and cheaper to pay.

Interestingly the national living wage is only for over 25s - as a 24 year old HCP working for the NHS (having trained for 3 years and been working as a HCP for 2) it's a bit disheartening to see that people think it's because I might have lower work ethic and enthusiasm due to my age, that if I were to lose my job, and have to work somewhere that pays minimum wage, I should not be entitled to the same wage as someone who is over 25.

Age discrimination is dressed up as experience or fit discrimination usually which is legal. Look at Apple and Abercrombie for example - everyone knows they discriminate against plain looking/fat/older women/most disabled people but they get away with it by using their brand. If you don't want a 16 yo then you'll often change the job description so it more appropriately fits an older candidate.

hula Discrimination laws don't self-enforce and cases are hard to prove. It's always easy to show why the unsuccessful applicant was less suitable than the successful one. And if you have to pay the same to both it's rational to prefer the applicant with more experience - usually the older one - to the applicant with less.

On one hand I agree with you, if unskilled labour.

For example my friends sons worked in a supermarket from 16 on, stacking shelves and on the tills. They were paid less than their older colleagues. Who had no more responsibility than them and do no more work.

My daughter did a waitressing job at 16 and they took the piss and worked her as hard as possible. The very few older staff were able to stand up to them more. The employer liked them young as they were cheaper and less able to say no.

However I agree, it's an incentive for employers to employ young people as sad as that is. It's also an incentive for them not to employ older people, as they cost more, and get as many young folks as they can in.

It's defintetly open to abuse.

Should be the same for all over 18s. Am flabbergasted such age discrimination is accepted. And to 25?! That's fucking ridiculous.

It appears the rule only applies to NMW.
A lot of jobs are based on market rate.

It's not the employers reaponsibilu to look at an employees home situation - most teens are at home spending their money on clothes and going out. They surely have to go with the majority?

Age discrimination is illegal in the UK so you can't hire someone based on the fact that they are younger and cheaper to pay.

And this is what makes the whole thing a farce - either you can discriminate, which justifies the age rate and the stupid benefit rules, or you can't, which should mean that the minimum wage and benefit rules are illegal but somehow... Don't?

Basically I blame the Tories and Blair. It's muddle headed and stupid.

YANBU! DD is 20 and has worked for a major retailer for the last 2 years being paid far less than her mostly older colleagues for exactly the same job. It's does wonders for youngsters self esteem not . Young people were able to get jobs before this came in so this 'it helps them' is complete rubbish.

It's lucky she is only part time (full time in Uni holidays) and is able to live at home. She would never be able to survive in the South East working full time on £5.59 an hour and pay rent. Especially as she couldn't claim a housing benefit top up as she's under 25. It's disgusting that young people are being taken advantage of like this.

But if it was YOUR money and you were paying an au pair or a carpenter or a decorator or a hairdresser - would you really pay the same for a 16 year old as a 25 year old?

I wouldn't.

A 16 year old is still not legally an adult which limits the level of responsibility they can take for a start. Insurance also is affected.

Maybe minimum wage should reflect experience. So someone with a proven 2 years plus employment is Min Wage+50p per hour. Those with none or fewer than 2 years experience are Min Wage.

NapQueen NMW has to be easy to calculate which it is if based on date of birth but not if based on alleged experience.

I think it works both ways though, I do agree that everyone should be paid the same wage but i think older people suffer in a way aswell since alot of employers would rather take on someone of a younger age so they can pay them less wages. Although it's a loss for both parties since the older person doesn't get the job and the younger person gets the job for a lower wage, at least one of them got the job which seems like a slight advantage to me

The housing benefit rule shocks me the most. You have to be 35 years old before you are entitled to have your own space and not just some scummy room in a shared house.

I think this is to reflect the fact that people in their 20s and early 30s tend to houseshare as a rule - I don't think it's fair that young people who are working and not on benefits are house sharing but young people on benefits get their own flat (another disincentive to work).

Before the over 35 rule was introduced I rented a one bed flat to a girl in her mid 20s on housing benefits (no kids) and thought it was very unfair that she got this flat paid for whilst many of my much older working friends were still in house shares.

Why is it ridicules? Surely we have too many young mums - and now they should be in full time education or training anyway?

I think too many people were taking the piss hence the new rules (along with lack of house building)

"experienced" workers
Ha ha
how long does it take to train up to serve in a fast food restaurant or stack shelves or wash dishes?
a couple of weeks at most

THe NMW legislation has been designed to keep the poor poor

Why is it keeping poor people poor?

There must be other options once you've beeen given some experience. Mobe companies apply for higher positions gain some qualifications.

There are choices

young people on benefits get their own flat (another disincentive to work).

The first part of your username explains it all tbh