Pay levels and awards
The Fair Work Agency has named and shamed 658 employers, including B&Q, Five Guys and some NHS trusts, for national minimum wage (NMW) underpayments. More than £4.2 million has been returned to more than 27,600 workers who had been denied the pay they were legally owed, with penalties totalling £7 million issued to the employers responsible.
The rates of the national minimum wage and national living wage increase from today (1 April 2026) as the Low Pay Commission publishes its first estimate of the wage floor for 2027-28.
The cost of employing low-wage workers will hit a record high in 2025, according to an analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies.
Annual wage growth continued to fall in the three months to September, but not as fast as was expected, according to official labour market statistics.
With the general election taking place on Thursday 4 July, workers will be heading to the polls to have their say on who should form the next government. If you are still undecided on who to vote for, here we round up the major political parties' policies on work-related matters, from skills policy to labour supply.
The UK labour market has changed 'beyond recognition' since the Conservatives were voted in, with real wages just £16 a week higher than in 2010.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has confirmed an increase to the national living wage and significant tax rises in his Autumn Statement today.
The Living Wage Foundation has announced a 10.1% increase in the "real" living wage for UK employees.
News: HR and legal information and guidance relating to pay levels and awards.