PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Media: Overtime (24 June 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of unpaid overtime in the TV, film and radio production industries; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure companies in those industries pay their employees for overtime worked.

Asked by:
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)

The Government is committed to ensuring fair remuneration for workers across the economy. In April 2019, the National Living Wage rate was increased to £8.21 per hour, a rise of 4.9 percent. Over 1.8 million workers benefitted directly from this increase.

Employers in all industries are required by law to ensure that all workers due the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (NMW) receive it, including for overtime. We take tough action against the minority of employers who underpay the NMW. Since 2015, the Government has doubled HMRC’s enforcement and compliance to £27.4m for 2019/20

Anyone who feels they are being underpaid the NMW should contact Acas (www.acas.org.uk, 0300 123 1100) for free impartial advice or make a complaint directly to HMRC through their online form.

Employers and employees are free to negotiate terms and conditions that go beyond the requirements set out in legislation. It is in employers’ interests to ensure that their reward packages are competitive, in order to retain and develop the staff who are fundamental to their success.

Answered by:
Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative)
27 June 2019