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Being paid less than minimum wage

Hi, I've just found out by doing some calculations that I'm being paid below the minimum wage. It never even entered my head that my employers could be doing this. I just assumed when the law changed recently and my wages didn't go up that I must have already been being paid the minimum wage. My basic pay is just over 1200 per month for a forty hour week with paid holidays.


I've read that you can tip off HMRC and ask that they keep you anonymous but I would in no way trust them to do that. I've thought about contacting my MP and asking him to contact HMRC on my behalf, except that if his name was mentioned in the course of the investigation, my employers would take five seconds to work out who is in his constituency. I am aware that you cannot be fired for reporting this, but my employers are not nice people and they would wait six months then get rid of me for some other reason.


Does anybody have any suggestions?


Thank you.
«13

Comments

  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 16 July 2016 at 2:57PM
    When you call the tip off line they don't ask for your name, so how could it be traced to you.

    Are you sure the calculations are correct ?
  • Alice_Walker
    Alice_Walker Posts: 574 Forumite
    Rather than tip off HMRC why not just speak to your employer? Going straight to HMRC is jumping the gun.

    How much exactly are you paid, and are you paid four weekly or monthly? Does the 40 hours include breaks, and are you paid for these?
  • theoretica
    theoretica Posts: 12,685 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    My basic pay is just over 1200 per month for a forty hour week with paid holidays.

    If you are being underpaid it is by very little, this calculator gives £1248 as the monthly wage for 40 hours a week at £7.20. http://www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/hourly.php So you are being underpaid by less than £50 - for that I wouldn't go in guns blazing, but rather ask why your wage doesn't match your calculations.
    But a banker, engaged at enormous expense,
    Had the whole of their cash in his care.
    Lewis Carroll
  • Detroit
    Detroit Posts: 790 Forumite
    Are you expected to take an unpaid lunch break each day?
    In an 8 hour working day you would need to be given a break, and many employers don't pay you for this time.
    This would reduce your working hours each week to around 37. Does your pay work out then?
    Check your contract for rules about breaks.


    Put your hands up.
  • patman99
    patman99 Posts: 8,532 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Photogenic
    Most employers have an 8.5 hour working day to compensate for a half hour lunch break.

    It would be worth the op letting us know whether or not this is the case where they work as it could make all the difference with regards to pay calculations.
    Never Knowingly Understood.

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  • CakeCrusader
    CakeCrusader Posts: 1,118 Forumite
    As others have said, you need to check your contract. Are your breaks paid for? Double time on bank holidays etc?

    You don't call HMRC about minimum wage, you call ACAS and they will put you through to HMRC, or you can complete an online form.
  • Detroit
    Detroit Posts: 790 Forumite
    patman99 wrote: »
    Most employers have an 8.5 hour working day to compensate for a half hour lunch break.

    It would be worth the op letting us know whether or not this is the case where they work as it could make all the difference with regards to pay calculations.

    I think this must be very much industry dependent. In my sector weekly hours tend to be 36.5 to allow for the unpaid breaks in the typical office day.
    OPs contract should make this clear.


    Put your hands up.
  • patman99
    patman99 Posts: 8,532 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Photogenic
    Having worked across many sectors, I have found that the majority of construction and production roles have un-paid breaks.
    Never Knowingly Understood.

    Member #1 of £1,000 challenge - £13.74/ £1000 (that's 1.374%)

    3-6 month EF £0/£3600 (that's 0 days worth)

  • missbiggles1
    missbiggles1 Posts: 17,481 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi, I've just found out by doing some calculations that I'm being paid below the minimum wage. It never even entered my head that my employers could be doing this. I just assumed when the law changed recently and my wages didn't go up that I must have already been being paid the minimum wage. My basic pay is just over 1200 per month for a forty hour week with paid holidays.


    I've read that you can tip off HMRC and ask that they keep you anonymous but I would in no way trust them to do that. I've thought about contacting my MP and asking him to contact HMRC on my behalf, except that if his name was mentioned in the course of the investigation, my employers would take five seconds to work out who is in his constituency. I am aware that you cannot be fired for reporting this, but my employers are not nice people and they would wait six months then get rid of me for some other reason.


    Does anybody have any suggestions?


    Thank you.

    Is that net or gross?
  • My basic salary gross, before all deductions, is 1204 per month. My contract says that my hours of work are "9am to 5pm with a one hour lunch break each day". I'm currently getting my brother to check my calculations. He's a banker and won't be long in telling me if I've made a mistake.


    I'm paid monthly, not four-weekly, and I've never been told that I'm not paid for breaks so I assumed that I was. I've certainly been spoken to about breaks - I was told when they were and how long they would be, but there was no mention of me not being paid for them. I used to do a bit of temping and I was told in those jobs that my breaks weren't paid for.


    I can't go straight to my employer, it's just not going to happen. They are unpleasant people. Also, there are people in my firm working the same hours as me and earning approx. £2k less than me per year, one of them told me that himself.


    DCFC79, I read somewhere that you can ask to be anonymous, so I assumed that meant that there were also situations where you would not be anonymous. I don't know enough about it yet, I need to do some more research.


    Theoretica, I agree it's not very much but it's still several hundred pounds a year and I need every penny I can get.


    Thanks everyone for your help.
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