Equal pay rights

[fedupworking]

my company employs 100s of staff from 16 to 60, on our site we have 10 staff, 1 of them is 18 and earning 5.26 an hour, they have worked for us for 1 year and is an excellent worker, however we have just employed a 26 year old with no experience yet he is earning 1.00 an hour more, whilst i realise there are minimum rates of pay now is this right?
Am i right in assuming that this may come under the equal pay rights?
Both employees work the same shifts and the same days and all other benfits are the same.

[Twenty20]

Just out of interest, how do you know how much they earn, their benefits etc?

[fedupworking]

i know because im their manager, i'm trying to get equal pay throughout our site but our head office are denying this, its causing low moral and i dont want to lose staff because they wont pay fairly.

[Ethel]

The minimum wage is lower for under 22s

http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/pay/national -minimum-wage/index.html

http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/pay/national -minimum-wage/index.html

So the differences in pay is not contravening any equal pay rights - it is simply reflecting the ages of the two employees.

[fedupworking]

Thanks, i knew there were minimum wages, its obvoiusly an issue with our company.
this 18 year old is a supervisor and earns considerably less than her staff, something isnt right with this system!!!!!

[LiverpoolLoo]

The system is only protecting young people from being exploited. In your case it is your company that `isn`t right`. Surely this person should get paid the rate for the job irrespective of their age?

[Boogie87]

its to do with being under 22. but if shes a supervisior, shouldnt she be earning more than her staff, seeing as she has more responsibility! it isnt a supermarket by any chanc is it? lol

[thugulike]

Equal Pay is about differences in gender. For a member of staff to have an equal pay case there would have to be at least one but even better a group of workers of a different gender who earn more for doing the same work or work of equal value.