Youth rates will still exist April 1 next year
Sue Bradford's youth rates bill went through today. It's not the bill she put up, employers will still be able to pay 16-17 year olds less than the minimum wage for their first 200 hours, or three months (whichever is less.
I think that a training period is complete bullshit and would be prepared to go ten rounds with anyone on why. But I actually think the trial period is minor compared with the issues the bill didn't even try to address:
- There is still no minimum wage for workers under the age of 16. A fifteen year-old could be paid $5 an hour - or less. Some are.
- It is completely legal for an employer to discriminate in wages on grounds of age up until age 20. You can have a 19 year old and a 21 year old doing exactly the same job, and pay the 19 year old $2 an hour less just because of their age
