The minimum wage legislation is set by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and enforced by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs; each year the Department identify a new trade sector for targeted enforcement. These are normally sectors which have demonstrated a high rate of non-compliance or traditionally low paying sectors. In the past the hairdressing and childcare sector have been the focus of targeted enforcement. This year it is the Hotel Sector.
Targeted enforcement is a two part approach that involves educating and raising awareness of minimum wage obligations within the specific trade sector and an increased number of ‘spot’ visits to specific types of employers to ensure that they are complying.
The Hotel Sector
Quite often cases involving hotel workers can be more complicated than other cases as they can involve addition factors such as accommodation, training and uniforms. There may also be the involvement of tips; tips, service charges and gratuities and cover charges only count towards minimum wage pay if they are paid to the worker via the employer’s payroll.
For more information on targeted enforcement in the hotel sector please see the information booklets which can be downloaded from the Downloads section of the website.