Are you being underpaid?

When it comes to work there are three kinds of "underpaid".

First, there is the legal minimum wage which is the minimum an employer can pay anyone working in any UK nation, and this rate varies by age.

Rate since 1 April 2022

Apprentices - £4.81

Under-18s - £4.81

Age 18-20 - £6.83

Age 21-22 - £9.18

Age 23+ - £9.50

Second, there is the REAL living wage; a voluntary employers' wage set by The Living Wage Foundation. Its based on an assessment of the actual cost of living (and it’s due an update soon).

Currently, it’s set at £10.90/hr, except in London where it’s £11.95/hr – this is higher than the minimum wage above – but not compulsory. 

Currently, almost 10,000 UK employers have pledged to pay the real living wage. You can check whether yours is one of them on www.livingwage.org.uk.

Finally, the one that is the hardest to find out is whether are you being underpaid compared to other people doing a similar job?

You can find out how your pay and job compares by taking the Breakroom Quiz.

Data used in this blog post is from 3 October 2022