National minimum wage - hours for which the NMW must be paid

Introduction

The hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid depends on the type of work a worker is doing. The type of work does not depend on the worker's occupation. Instead, it depends on the basis on which they are paid.

This guide defines the four types of work - time work, salaried-hours work, output work and unmeasured work. It also explains how the rules and calculation of hours differ for each. Where this guidance refers to 'time worker', 'piece worker', 'salaried-hours worker' etc, it means a person who is doing that particular type of work in a pay reference period.

It is important to note that any one worker might do different types of work for the same or, more usually, different employers. In that case, the rules and calculation of hours apply differently for each type of work that the worker does.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - time work
• What hours of work count for time workers?
• What hours do not count for time workers?
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - salaried-hours work
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - the meaning of salaried-hours work
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - when salaried-hours workers leave or sleep between duties
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - output work
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - calculating output rate
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - output work obligations
• Hours for which the national minimum wage must be paid - unmeasured work
• Calculating the hourly rate of pay - a summary
• Examples to help calculating when the national minimum wage must be paid

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