Government guidance on creative sector minimum wage to be delivered shortly

This year the government made a promise that arts sector specific minimum wage guidance would be published.  2010 is coming to a close.  So where is the guidance?

Just yesterday, an arts minimum wage campainer recieved a response from BIS (department for Business, Innovation and Skills).  They have shared  this communication (in the form of an email) with actorsminimumwage which lets us know what has delayed the guidance, what guidance to expect, and where to look for it!

So, with out further ado:

Dear Mx. XXXXX,

Thank you for your email.  Anna has passed your note to me for reply as I now lead on unpaid work in relation to NMW.

Due to the election and the new Government’s wish to think about the issue of unpaid work placements from first principles, the updating of the guidance has taken longer than expected.  The new administration has confirmed that it supports the current legal framework, and agrees with the Low Pay Commission of the need for greater clarity in guidance and appropriate action to address potential exploitation.

We are currently actively working on updating the guidance and seeking the views of stakeholder bodies.  As set out in our non-economic evidence to the LPC published in October, our approach to fulfilling our commitment on guidance for the entertainment sector is to update the NMW guidance on Business Link and Direct Gov, ensuring that issues raised in the entertainment sector are covered and including sector specific examples.   Including the guidance on Business Link and Direct Gov in this way will ensure that it is available to the widest possible audience. The updated guidance will be published as soon as possible bearing in mind that it takes some time to seek the views of stakeholders. We have discussed with Skillset and others how awareness of the guidance can best be raised once it is published:  this will include making film schools aware of the updated guidance and the need to adhere to their responsibilities under NMW legislation.

Yours sincerely,

Emily Corsellis

Emily Corsellis | Joint Head of National Minimum Wage Team | Department for Business, Innovation & Skills |emily.corsellis@bis.gsi.gov.uk | Telephone 0207 215 5001 | www.bis.gov.uk

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