Employer insisting on paying 18 y/o under min. wage

mark2912

.

pc7

Is it an error on their behalf, have you contacted them to see if they realize that you should be on over 18 rate?

L1011

They may still believe the training rate still exists - it doesn't.

mark2912

I was told today at the interview that the rate of pay was €8.39 an hour, I questioned them, explaining that the min wage is €10.10 for an 18 y/o but was told that they can pay me that as they're a UK company. They also said that my rate of pay will go up to €10.41 when I turn 19. This seems wrong to me

December2012

Hi Mark2912,

I think you should go back to the shop and advise them that you are 18 and see if they made a mistake. Or find out why they are offering you a lower wage.

Generally, have you a plan for yourself to give yourself more employment options as you get older? Are you going to college, etc., would you consider doing a trade? Working in retail is very important (as the last few months have shown, in case people didn't already know), but it might help you to have a plan so you can build up your confidence, no matter what you do?

Rulmeq

L1011 wrote: »

They may still believe the training rate still exists - it doesn't.

This isn't the training rate, this is due to "inexperience".


Minimum wage only has to be paid to over 20s



https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/pay_and_employment/pay_inc_min_wage.html#l1f4da


Rates on or after 1 February 2020
Minimum hourly rate of pay, € % of minimum wage
National minimum wage (Aged 20 and over) 10.10 100
Aged under 18 7.07 70
Aged 18 8.08 80
Aged 19 9.09 90
Since 4 March 2019 trainee rates are abolished.

L1011

Rulmeq wrote: »

This isn't the training rate, this is due to inexperience.


Minimum wage only has to be paid to over 20s



https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/pay_and_employment/pay_inc_min_wage.html#l1f4da


Rates on or after 1 February 2020
Minimum hourly rate of pay, € % of minimum wage National minimum wage (Aged 20 and over) 10.10 100 Aged under 18 7.07 70 Aged 18 8.08 80 Aged 19 9.09 90 Since 4 March 2019 trainee rates are abolished.

I thought the age bands were 16/17/18 - my mistake. Been a loooong time since I was at either end of either age scale.

challengemaster

mark2912 wrote: »

I have just been offered a job with Dealz, but there is a problem. The rate of pay is €8.39/hour. Is this allowed? Considering I am 18 thus 100% entitled to the min wage of €10.10.

Ah, but you're not. 100% of min wage is if you're over 20. At 18 you're only entitled to 80%, which is €8.08. So Dealz are actually overpaying slightly what they're legally obliged to.

antimatterx

Take the job.

It's good for you mind and some money and getting out of the house, is better than staying at home and getting the dole.

Get Real

Yup, as challengemaster and rulemeq have said, 8.08 per hour minimum for 18 year olds.

Although I know of very few employers who take advantage of the under 20 rule. Seems pretty scabby on their part. Generally in retail/jobs around that level of pay, everyone will be paid the "real" minimum wage, whether they're 18 or 20.

ziedth

Hi OP,

As above the Pay scales I'm afraid are correct. Also, In Dealz You won't be doing anywhere near 39 hours a week. I would say at best average 20 that might go up to 30 at busy times but we certainly go down to 12 in the quiet times.

mark2912

challengemaster wrote: »

Ah, but you're not. 100% of min wage is if you're over 20. At 18 you're only entitled to 80%, which is €8.08. So Dealz are actually overpaying slightly what they're legally obliged to.

So it appears that while they aren't breaking the law, but it still isn't good enough.

€8.39/hour, min 12 hours/ week contract, paid monthly - do the maths:
8.39x12= 100.68
100.68*4= €402.72 per month

How can anybody live on that a month? Most people earn that in a week, never mind a month

challengemaster

Well then don't take the job if you're not happy with the pay?

Welcome to being an adult

ziedth

mark2912 wrote: »

So it appears that while they aren't breaking the law, but it still isn't good enough.

€8.39/hour, min 12 hours/ week contract, paid monthly - do the maths:
8.39x12= 100.68
100.68*4= €402.72 per month

How can anybody live on that a month? Most people earn that in a week, never mind a month

All I will say is that once it doesn't cost you much to commute to work it is a much better option than the dole. If nothing else you gain a bit of experience and with the amount of people out of work off the back of COVID-19 an 18 year old is going to need all the experience you can

shocksy

mark2912 wrote: »

but was told that they can pay me that as they're a UK.

They're talking through their hole with that statement. It doesn't matter what country their company is from. If they operate in Ireland they have to operate under Irish laws.

However, the hourly rate being offered is above the minimum rate for someone of your age. So, there's nothing you can do about that unless you can find an employer who will pay you at the higher end of the minimum wage pay scale.

mark2912

ziedth wrote: »

All I will say is that once it doesn't cost you much to commute to work it is a much better option than the dole. If nothing else you gain a bit of experience and with the amount of people out of work off the back of COVID-19 an 18 year old is going to need all the experience you can

I couldn't care less about the experience at the end of the day, I know nobody else who gets paid that low. €8.39 is a joke and should be illegal, its a disgrace, I'll get laughed at by friends/peers, all of whom get paid at least €10.10 in their jobs.

The one job I liked was only temporary. The fact that I expressed interest in being made permanent after xmas to them and they went ahead and kept 2 other people instead of me is what got to me the most. Loosing that job was like loosing a limb and changed who I am today. I didn't care about anything else, just the job, I wanted to be dead, I was grieving. I obviously wasn't good enough for them

Dav010

It certainly is low pay, but if you can find a higher paid job, you should take it. Have you any qualifications/training which would make you employable in a better paid job/profession?

mark2912

Dav010 wrote: »

It certainly is low pay, but if you can find a higher paid job, you should take it. Have you any qualifications/training which would make you employable in a better paid job/profession?

I have applied to other jobs with other chain companies such as Tesco, SuperValu etc. who definitely do pay above €10.10 regardless of age, however I either don't hear back or receive an email to say that I wasn't shortlisted.

I was in college up until closure in March studying a Level 5 PLC in Business. I received my results last week and got Distinctions in all 9 modules, but yet I still cannot get a job

jrosen

You could take the job. Surely working for this amount is better than not working at all? Experience is important, even if you dont think it is.

In the background you could be looking for another job, or planning your return to college.

Arrival

mark2912 wrote: »

I have applied to other jobs with other chain companies such as Tesco, SuperValu etc. who definitely do pay above €10.10 regardless of age, however I either don't hear back or receive an email to say that I wasn't shortlisted.

I was in college up until closure in March studying a Level 5 PLC in Business. I received my results last week and got Distinctions in all 9 modules, but yet I still cannot get a job

Our unemployment rate went from almost full employment at ~4% to almost 30% in a matter of weeks as we are in a pandemic, I think it's a bit unreasonable to not be understanding that it's difficult to get a job at the moment. Having a level 5 PLC doesn't exactly automatically make you the most employable person considering many full level 8 University graduates also end up going for such minimum wage jobs while they search for opportunities to enter their chosen career field. All you can do is go with what's available at the moment and continue the search to find better, it really is better to get whatever experience you possibly can. Have a look at other options besides retail as well. You could see if there's any work going on construction sites or if any tradies need someone to help out over the Summer as well

ziedth

mark2912 wrote: »

I have applied to other jobs with other chain companies such as Tesco, SuperValu etc. who definitely do pay above €10.10 regardless of age, however I either don't hear back or receive an email to say that I wasn't shortlisted.

mark2912 wrote: »

I couldn't care less about the experience at the end of the day

I don't want to be too hard on you here OP but I'm sure you can draw the line between these?

Anyway, As said above. I wouldn't take not being kept on in Dunnes personally. Managers have a wage budget so can only take on x amount of people after Christmas (If any at all) and a big store like Dunnes you don't know what "pull" the couple have who were kept on or they might have just been that little bit better then you at what they needed... Doesn't mean they didn't value you

KiKi III

mark2912 wrote: »

I couldn't care less about the experience at the end of the day, I know nobody else who gets paid that low. €8.39 is a joke and should be illegal, its a disgrace, I'll get laughed at by friends/peers, all of whom get paid at least €10.10 in their jobs.

The one job I liked was only temporary. The fact that I expressed interest in being made permanent after xmas to them and they went ahead and kept 2 other people instead of me is what got to me the most. Loosing that job was like loosing a limb and changed who I am today. I didn't care about anything else, just the job, I wanted to be dead, I was grieving. I obviously wasn't good enough for them

With empathy OP, you’re talking about a job in Dunnes like it was the love of your life. Why was it so important to you?

I know they began hiring again due to increased demand during Covid, would you try to get back in there?

Alrigghtythen

mark2912 wrote: »

I couldn't care less about the experience at the end of the day, I know nobody else who gets paid that low. €8.39 is a joke and should be illegal, its a disgrace, I'll get laughed at by friends/peers, all of whom get paid at least €10.10 in their jobs.

The one job I liked was only temporary. The fact that I expressed interest in being made permanent after xmas to them and they went ahead and kept 2 other people instead of me is what got to me the most. Loosing that job was like loosing a limb and changed who I am today. I didn't care about anything else, just the job, I wanted to be dead, I was grieving. I obviously wasn't good enough for them

Did you reapply to dunnes recently?

The job you took at Christmas was temporary due to seasonal demand. You were returning to college. Dont take it so personal.

challengemaster

sugarman wrote: »

I doubt it was in anyway personal or related to your work performance.

Actually, I'd say that's very likely the prominent reason he wasn't kept on.

The OP has a history of posting here blaming multiple different jobs for a variety of issues that all in the end seem to be his own problem with not having any work ethic at all. He wanted to laze around all day and complained about being 'bullied' when told to actually do some work.

He's also shown a side of sexism, and considering his responses on and over reaction here when told that yet again the employer isn't the one in the wrong - this person has a huge range of attitude problems and a sense of entitlement that no employer would want to hire them.

Wuff Wuff

challengemaster wrote: »

Actually, I'd say that's very likely the prominent reason he wasn't kept on.

The OP has a history of posting here blaming multiple different jobs for a variety of issues that all in the end seem to be his own problem with not having any work ethic at all. He wanted to laze around all day and complained about being 'bullied' when told to actually do some work.

He's also shown a side of sexism, and considering his responses on and over reaction here when told that yet again the employer isn't the one in the wrong - this person has a huge range of attitude problems and a sense of entitlement that no employer would want to hire them.

The i should be entitled to a lie on because I'm in college was a great thread in fairness 😂

antimatterx

Wuff Wuff wrote: »

The i should be entitled to a lie on because I'm in college was a great thread in fairness 😂

Outside final year, college is a doss.

Wuff Wuff

antimatterx wrote: »

Outside final year, college is a doss.

PLCs are a doss full stop, I've done enough of them to know haha

mark2912

KiKi III wrote: »

With empathy OP, you’re talking about a job in Dunnes like it was the love of your life. Why was it so important to you?

I know they began hiring again due to increased demand during Covid, would you try to get back in there?

It was important to me because it was a huge weight off my shoulders being able to go to work without the horrible working conditions I had at my job before that one (see thread regarding this https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058024453 )

I will never forget going in to Dunnes a week or 2 before Christmas, looking at the roster and seeing 2 other temporary staff on it for dates after Christmas. Aware of how I felt about this, my manager rang me on NYE to tell me that there was a position available in the Cafe Sol within the Dunnes branch and would I be interested. This involved 8am starts on weekends and paid around €10.60/hour which was nothing near what I was on in Dunnes initially, so I declined the offer

Tiddlypeeps

It's bullsh*t that they are offering such a low rate even if it is legal, especially when working retail right now is a bit of a health hazard. However it is much easier to get a job while you are in a job. Looking at a CV or job application where someone is actively working makes that person 100 times more attractive than someone who is not.

Wuff Wuff

Aw diddums

8am starts

Alrigghtythen

mark2912 wrote: »

It was important to me because it was a huge weight off my shoulders being able to go to work without the horrible working conditions I had at my job before that one (see thread regarding this https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058024453 )

I will never forget going in to Dunnes a week or 2 before Christmas, looking at the roster and seeing 2 other temporary staff on it for dates after Christmas. Aware of how I felt about this, my manager rang me on NYE to tell me that there was a position available in the Cafe Sol within the Dunnes branch and would I be interested. This involved 8am starts on weekends and paid around €10.60/hour which was nothing near what I was on in Dunnes initially, so I declined the offer

Well that 10.60 seems rather attractive now.