Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to ensure that companies do not offset the costs of paying the new minimum wage by reducing rates of pay for (a) some workers and (b) night and weekend working.

Margot James

We recognise that employers will respond to the National Living Wage in a variety of ways depending on their circumstances, but the Government does not consider it acceptable for companies to use it as an excuse to cut staff benefits.

In a growing economy, the National Living Wage should represent an opportunity to invest in talented staff and improve productivity. Employers need to ensure their pay and reward packages are competitive to retain and develop the people they need for their business.