Minimum wage going up in February 2020

The Minimum Wage in Ireland is going up on 1 February 2020 - as announced here.

The minimum adult hourly rate is increasing by 30c to €10.10 per hour.  It applies to  everyone who is age 18 or more (except apprentices and family members of employers).

• For people aged 19 the minimum hourly rate is 90% of the adult rate, so it becomes €9.09 per hour.

• People aged 18  is 80% of the adult rate, so it becomes €8.08per hour.

• People aged less than 18:  for them, the minimum hourly rate is 70% of the adult rate, so it becomes €7.07per hour.

Do you have to be paid the minimum wage?

The law says that you must be paid at least the minimum wage, based on your age.

Employers can choose to pay you more than this, and  many employers do pay more than the minimum wage.

Will everyone else's wages also increase?

Increases to the minimum wage doesn't apply to people who are already paid more - unless they have a contract which says they are linked   eg  "Your hourly pay rate is the minimum wage plus 50c".

But  it is likely that other low-wage jobs will have wage increases, so they are still attractive to people who are looking for work.

What to do if you are being paid less than the minimum wage

See what to do if you aren't being treated the right way at work for some suggestions.

Disclaimer

As always, this isn't legal advice.  Consult a lawyer if you need advice about a specific situation.