NMW to increase again next year to £12.21 ph.

[ZoeZee]

If you’ve not had a pay rise this year, despite bringing it up to your employer, and now there’s set to be another 6% NMW increase next year (which is fantastic, don’t get me wrong) the pay gap is narrowing ever more between skilled/unskilled employees.

Skilled and those with MANY years of experience, might as ditch their responsible/stressful jobs (which often keep you awake at night) and look for something that doesn’t have the added responsibility?

Almost 20 years experience means nothing to some employers! AIBU?

Any employers who have a view on this increase, please let me know how this might affect you and your staff.

I wonder how this will affect childcare costs? I thought nurseries barely were making even. I am so happy my children are older.

I don't agree at all OP I'm a skilled professional, I earn considerably more than minimum wage, even my graduate wage was more than 6% higher than minimum wage before considering the increased earning potential over time compared to someone in a minimum wage job.

This is just being jealous of other people getting a boost, the same as the people who post threads about being better off on benefits, or better off if the gave up their 6 figure job. Spoiler alert, they never do.

Also, sorry to say this, but not all of us were able to afford to go to Uni. That is sadly a situation that is likely to prevail for my children too.

Do I think their work will be any less worthwhile because they didn’t spend 3 years at Uni getting a degree in poetry? No, I don’t.

Most degrees have little to do with the job you do or many are gained through your work, which involves getting your employer to play ball.

Having a degree is no measure of how hard you work at your job. Some of the laziest people I know are “educated”

Its a shame that it can’t just be accepted that everyone needs to be paid well, not just those deemed worthy.

There are two ways of raising pay for minimum wage workers.
Personally I'd like to do all of it but I think raising tax and ni threshold is better than this because now she's got more people paying more tax and ni so they won't see much difference in their pay.

I think it's a sneaky way to raise more money and say hey we are raising standards.

And how much is it in a couple of years time when they gained experience. Because people on minimum wage probably have 20 years experience but are still on minimum wage.

im employed by a company,I am the only cleaner,the place would be shut down for health and safety reasons without a cleaner.

In the last 6 or so years DH has had a 'considerable' pay rise working in a rural mid sized firm with professional qualification that's pretty hard to do. He worked out the other day that adjusted for inflation he actually hasn't had a pay rise at all. His wage has just kept up. Now as horrified as we were at the thought of this it really hit home just how little people on NMW and just above are actually being paid, and the difference in lifestyle they must be experiencing it that's your full time income. The whole of the UK is a disaster. Wages are so incredibly low and big businesses only get away with this because the taxpayer subsidises it. Support could be put in place for smaller businesses over the term of parliament but quite frankly after that if to you can't pay your staff a living wage then your not a viable business. We need to wean employers off benefits, not people !

I visited Primark recently, not been in years and tills had gone. Just self service and scan your receipt on the way out

If you think UC don't hound you then you are very wrong.

Very true.

Some larger businesses make huge profits so could pay. Benefits subsidise their low paid workforce

I run a business. Honestly if businesses cant pay this then they dont have a viable business anyway

People are deliberately misunderstanding the issue on this thread. All anyone can see is "more money in my pocket is a good thing!" (Which it is) But when everyone gets more money in their pocket no one gets more money in their pocket, the bottom rung of the salary ladder is still the bottom rung of the salary ladder. But to offset increasing the money in your pocket companies will now have to increase the cost of everything they sell us. So if you're already struggling to feed your family this increase will not change that.

If everyone's salaries in a company go up by 7% to accommodate the nnw increase that puts a huge financial burden on the public and charity sectors who run on tight margins as it is. It's all very well to say if you can't afford to pay a living wage don't be in business but let's see how society manages with even less public and charity sector resources.

So you think people should be given state money unchecked?

What's made up?

You're moaning about the minimum wage increase - ergo you'd rather it didn't happen. If that's not true then what are you complaining about?

You won't be earning any less than you currently earn. All that changes is that some other people will earn a bit more.

That's because his employer has to fund all the NMW rises before other employees

Do you think they should get sanctioned for ridiculous reasons leaving them unable to feed themselves?

I look forward to hearing about it then, surely they'll say something today as they'd have already considered this.

Of course not but to get sanctioned you've got to have done a number of things wrong. I've been unemployed and on UC and never once got sanctioned nor did I feel hounded by them. I missed an appointment once, notified them through my journal, got told not to do it again or I'll be sanctioned or considered for sanctions, and that was the matter closed.

My friend is a local authority foster carer and receives around £300 a week for a 24 hour, 7 day a week responsibility for a child. It's disgraceful. No NMW for some.

True. Some good points.

@Blanketyre so the people who empty your bins, stock the supermarkets,care for your children,grandparents,disabled family member etc don’t deserve NMW ?
Someone has to do these jobs ,otherwise the country and society would be screwed! So what is your answer then ?

Small businesses will adapt (less staff probably) or close

Where will the jobs then come from?

Who is going to risk starting a new business in this climate - when all the rewards are being chipped away? (Entrepreneur's relief, rises to CGT etc) **

If jobs are replaced by machines, what are the people going to do?

No answers as yet but let's see...

** ok not yet announced, but have been strongly suggested leaked

I think VAT and tax fraud should be cracked down on across all businesses and the self employed. Now that would raise a fortune.

To an extent, yes. I believe that they should get my income each month and that be it. I am actually in full time work
The system is there to help, it’s to help because we aren’t paid a decent wage and can’t live on it, however somehow it’s becoming a stick with which you beat the very people that so many of you rely on day to day.

I’d like to see all us low paid workers get a degree, better ourselves and then go and get all the better paying jobs we are now qualified for, then watch the UK crumble because hang on! No one is cleaning, or working in schools, or stacking shelves!

You look down your noses at us, but you need us.

Exactly.

It's the same for family carers. They save this country an absolute fortune. 24/7 yet only receive £82 per week. It's a disgrace.

I can't believe there are actually people who begrudge the most vulnerable being able to eat.