Employers in the hospitality sector are being urged to pay their young workers the minimum wage, in order to avoid legal issues and stay abreast of the law.
Lawyers at Wedlake Bell warn that while employers can pay staff below the age of 22 less than older workers, they should stick to the minimum wage of £5.35 per hour.
This is in light of the fact that employers who pay young staff less than older workers could be charged with age unlawful discrimination, they suggested. David Israel of Wedlake Bell highlights these risks, explaining that attempts to pay above the minimum wage could be problematic.
"Unfortunately, employers may well be discouraged from being generous to their staff because of these quirks in the age discrimination rules," he told Caterer Search.
Studies commissioned by the British Retail Consortium have found that 96 per cent of workers in the hospitality sector earn the minimum wage. It is also claimed that the minimum wage has risen 46 per cent since introduction in 1999.
Digg 
Delicious 
Reddit 
StumbleUpon 
Google 
Technorati 
Netvouz