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£10 Fine for Being Late

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Hi,

Just wanted some help on clarification on weather a £10 fine for being late is legal.

I'm not sure it's in the contract, I'd have to check, however our employer fines us £10 if we're late. It hasn't effected me yet however someone on a wage just above minimum wage has recently been fined. I'm pretty sure as this would take him below minimum wage, he was only 5 minutes late, this cannot be done.

Could someone advise, thanks.
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  • What industry do you work in?
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,092 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 5 October 2014 at 12:23PM
    Have a read of this.

    https://www.gov.uk/understanding-your-pay/deductions-from-your-pay

    If it is in the contract and the contract has been signed by you then it seems the employer can do this.

    However, even if you have consented to it the deduction would be unlawful if it took you below the national minimum wage.
  • surreysaver
    surreysaver Posts: 4,814 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    And if you're going to be docked £10 for being late, you may as well have £10 worth of lateness - if you get paid £5 per hour, be 2 hours late, rather than just 5 minutes.
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  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
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    Loopy73 wrote: »
    Hi,

    Just wanted some help on clarification on weather a £10 fine for being late is legal.

    I'm not sure it's in the contract, I'd have to check, however our employer fines us £10 if we're late. It hasn't effected me yet however someone on a wage just above minimum wage has recently been fined. I'm pretty sure as this would take him below minimum wage, he was only 5 minutes late, this cannot be done.

    Could someone advise, thanks.
    £10 is a bit too much. I worked somewhere where if you arrived on time every day for 2 consecutive weeks then your fortnightly pay packet would have an extra £10 in it on top of minimum wage. If it was a 50p daily penalty for arriving late then it shouldn't bring them below minimum wage as long as their hourly rate was higher to take the potential penalty into account.

    Anything can be legal if it's in the contract. Many shops deduct till shortages from employee wages but those deductions still cannot take them below minimum wage....even if £20 was missing they can't deduct that much if they are paid just above MW.
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  • James_B.
    James_B. Posts: 404 Forumite
    And if you're going to be docked £10 for being late, you may as well have £10 worth of lateness - if you get paid £5 per hour, be 2 hours late, rather than just 5 minutes.

    Or, if you aspire to something more, you could take the radical decision to not be late.

    It' amusing and depressing to see how many people on here are unable to arrive at work on time. If someone can't even get this bit right, it's not likely that they excel in other areas.
  • James_B. wrote: »
    Or, if you aspire to something more, you could take the radical decision to not be late.

    It' amusing and depressing to see how many people on here are unable to arrive at work on time. If someone can't even get this bit right, it's not likely that they excel in other areas.

    Because it's impossible to be delayed due to completely unforeseeable circumstances, right?
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  • ohreally
    ohreally Posts: 7,525 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    And if you're going to be docked £10 for being late, you may as well have £10 worth of lateness - if you get paid £5 per hour, be 2 hours late, rather than just 5 minutes.

    That's what we used to do when on time clock, drove the gaffer nuts, put the kettle on and make coffee and a read at the paper. Started work when the wages re-started.
    Don’t be a can’t, be a can.
  • Undervalued
    Undervalued Posts: 9,578 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Because it's impossible to be delayed due to completely unforeseeable circumstances, right?

    Of course one can be delayed. However the point is that it is the employee's responsibility to get to work on time. Most employers will show some flexibility in difficult circumstances but it is perfectly reasonable to expect an employee to turn up as contracted.
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Of course one can be delayed. However the point is that it is the employee's responsibility to get to work on time. Most employers will show some flexibility in difficult circumstances but it is perfectly reasonable to expect an employee to turn up as contracted.
    Unfortunately with a public transport system that arrives on time only 90% of the time that is very difficult to achieve when getting the first bus of the day which may or may not arrive to catch the second train of the day which if the second bus of the day arrives on time I will probably miss as the train is timed to depart within 60 seconds of the bus arriving at the station and that'll be the day when the first bus does not run and the second bus and train actually arrives spot on time making me have to catch the third train of the day which would get me to work with 2 minutes to spare but invariably the third train will be late.

    So...I'm either really early or a little late depending on public transport and there's nothing I can do about it.
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • HappyMJ wrote: »
    Unfortunately with a public transport system that arrives on time only 90% of the time that is very difficult to achieve when getting the first bus of the day which may or may not arrive to catch the second train of the day which if the second bus of the day arrives on time I will probably miss as the train is timed to depart within 60 seconds of the bus arriving at the station and that'll be the day when the first bus does not run and the second bus and train actually arrives spot on time making me have to catch the third train of the day which would get me to work with 2 minutes to spare but invariably the third train will be late.

    So...I'm either really early or a little late depending on public transport and there's nothing I can do about it.
    But really how you get to work isn't your employers responsibility is it.

    Though £10 is extreme.

    Better to talk to the late person first and then keep a record and take action if required.
    Don't trust a forum for advice. Get proper paid advice. Any advice given should always be checked
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