Each year the Forum asks the public to comment on what rates the minimum wage, the trainee rates and the maximum offsets for accommodation and food should be set at from 1 April the following year.
Helen Ruelle, Chair of the Employment Forum, said: “Each year we encourage stakeholders to tell us their views, either in writing or in person. Employers who pay the minimum wage and employees who earn the minimum wage can provide us with valuable insight. From previous experience, we know that the minimum wage is most relevant for employers and employees in the hospitality and agriculture sectors.
“In order to ensure that our recommendation is appropriate, it is really important that people who are directly affected by minimum wage increases get in touch and tell us how this impacts on them. We provide an online survey and stakeholders are also welcome to give us their views in person at a private meeting with the Forum.”
Pictured: Helen Ruelle, Chair of the Employment Forum.
Pictured: The minimum wages rate for 2017 and 2018.
The review comes just as the Chamber of Commerce slammed what they call an “unresearched promise” between the newly-elected Chief Minister John Le Fondré and Reform Jersey to increase the minimum wage towards £10 per hour, which they say could cost jobs.
The policy was one of eight agreed in a signed deal between Senator John Le Fondré and Sam Mézec, Chairman of Reform Jersey, in return for his party’s five votes for the Chief Ministerial role.
The policy statement said that, “It is agreed that the minimum wage should we progressively increased towards £10ph, with consideration given to benefits in kind provided by employers in agriculture and hospitality.”