<p><br />Local business owners in the Hinckley & Bosworth area need to be aware that as <strong>from the 1st October 2010</strong> the rules and <strong>rates for the National minimum wage have changed.</strong> The main changes to these  rules that you need to aware of are that:</p> <ul> <li>the <strong>new principle rate of £5.93</strong> now becomes payable to 21 year olds;</li> <li>the amount that can be taken into account <a title="Visit the Directgov website for more information." href="http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/TheNationalMinimumWage/DG_175108" target="_blank"><strong><span style="COLOR: #ff6600">when accommodation is provided</span> </strong></a>to employees has changed;</li> <li>there is a  new reduced minimum wage that has been introduced specifically for apprentices.</li> </ul> <p>There are three main bands for workers that need to be applied and these are, for:</p> <ul> <li><strong>workers under 18</strong> years of age – the new minimum wage rate is <strong>£3.64</strong>;</li> <li><strong>workers aged 18</strong> – the new minimum wage rate should be <strong>£4.92</strong>;</li> <li><strong>workers aged 21</strong> and over - the new minimum wage rate is <strong>£5.93</strong>.</li> </ul> <p>There is now an additional <strong>new rate for apprentices</strong>, those individuals who are <strong>aged under 19 or in the first 12 months of their apprenticeship</strong>, of <strong>£2.50</strong> per hour that now needs to be applied.</p> <p>Further information on the National Minimum Wage and its application can be found on the <a title="Visit the Directgov website" href="http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/NationalMinimumWage/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style="COLOR: #ff6600"><strong>Directgov website</strong></span></a>.</p> <p>If you feel that you need some professional help or guidance with implementation, policy and practice with respect to the National Minimum Wage or other Human Resource issues then do contact me – <strong>Denise Mather</strong> at <a title="Visit the DEMand Results feature on thebestof Hinckley" href="http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/hinckley/business-guide/feature/demand-results-hinckley/71924" target="_blank"><strong><span style="COLOR: #ff6600">DEMand Results</span></strong></a> today on <strong>01455 240</strong> 638.</p>/8d09aca7-84a3-45a9-b67d-a75f960ef85a.jpg/a825f23a-b585-4534-bd3e-21e1af00c6b6.jpg