From today the adult minimum wage will rise to £5.52 an hour from £5.35.  Younger workers will also receive rises.  Those aged between 18 and 22 will now receive a minimum hourly rate of £4.60, up from £4.45, and those aged 16 and 17 will see an increase in their minimum rate to £3.40, up from £3.30.

Employers failing to meet the minimum wage requirements can be fined up to £5000 per offence under the National Minimum Wage Act. Further information is available at the HM Revenue and Customs National Minimum Wage Helpline: 0845 6000 678 Monday-Friday 09:00-17.00 (calls charged at local rate).

The minimum statutory paid leave entitlement also goes up today, rising from 4 weeks to 4.8 weeks for all full time employees. A further rise in statutory paid leave entitlement is planned for April 2009, when leave will increase to 5.6 weeks. 

Also from today, employees adopting children from overseas will enjoy the same rights as those who adopt in the UK. One of the adopting parents will now be able to take leave when the child first arrives in their family, and both will now be able to request to work flexibly if their child is under the age of six (or up to the age of 18 if the child they adopt is disabled).

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