minimum wage question?

MariaBlaah

Hi all, just started a summer job this week and got my first pay check. I got paid 7e an hour, but the minimum wage is 8.65. It is my first time waitressing, but I have plenty of experience in retail (worked in a newsagents for 4 years on Saturdays) and working in a bar (seasonal over 4 years). I turned 20 a couple of months ago. I read that people who are in "training" can get paid as low as 6.92 but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if this is likely to change after a few weeks?

Clauric

OP, it would seem that you are being underpaid. As you are 20 yers old, the minimum that you should be paid is €8.65 per hour. I would ask your boss/manager why you are being paid less than that rate.

Please find the minimum requirements for pay on tha National Minimum Wage.

National minimum wage

Since 1 July 2011 under SI 331 of 2011 the national minimum wage for an experienced adult employee is €8.65 per hour (was €7.65). An experienced adult employee for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Act is an employee who has an employment of any kind in any 2 years over the age of 18 - see also 'Rates' section below.

Sub-minimum rates

Since 1 July 2011 the National Minimum Wage Act provides the following sub-minimum rates, see also 'Rates' below:

• An employee who is under 18 is entitled to €6.06 per hour (this is 70% of the minimum wage)
• An employee who is in the first year of employment since the age of 18 is entitled to €6.92 per hour (80% of minimum wage)
• An employee who is in the second year of employment since the date of first employment over the age of 18 is entitled to €7.79 per hour (90% of the minimum wage)

MariaBlaah

so even though I have never waitressed before she should still be paying me minimum wage and not the "training" rate?

I forgot to mention that during my interview my boss told me that the first 2 weeks would be to see how I get on, how likely do you think it is that she is paying me 7e for these 2 weeks and then increasing my wages?

A friend of mine also started work in the same place working behind the bar, he is getting the same wage as me and has almost the same amount of work experience

GarIT

MariaBlaah wrote: »

I forgot to mention that during my interview my boss told me that the first 2 weeks would be to see how I get on, how likely do you think it is that she is paying me 7e for these 2 weeks and then increasing my wages?

Nobody can tell you how likely it is that somebody they know nothing about will do something. Unless you have been told you are on a training program and you are training not working and you are being assessed and will recieve a cert at the end of your training it is illegal for you to be paid anything less than €8.65. It wouldn't matter if you were only there for one day, if its not a training program the lowest you can be paid (with your experience) is €8.65.

wmpdd3

whats the situation with tips, is the boss trying to make out you should be getting over 1.65 per hour in tips?

GarIT

wmpdd3 wrote: »

whats the situation with tips, is the boss trying to make out you should be getting over 1.65 per hour in tips?

Shift premium, bonuses and service charges all count towards your wage. Your employer cannot tell you what you will make in tips, its not gaurenteed. What your employer can do is deduct your tips after you have received them.