Great Britain: the Living Wage is making employers blanch

How does one absorb the costs of a mandatory rise in the minimum wage of almost 7.5% to be paid to all workers over the age of 25? This is the question bothering British businesses that remain troubled over the imminent introduction of this new minimum pay level due to be implemented in under a month.
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From 01 April 2016 the minimum wage level will move from the current £6.70 (€8.60) an hour to £7.20 (€9.30) (c.f. article No. 9180). As proof of the confusion still surrounding the measure a study conducted by XpertHR (HR specialist group) found that four out of ten employers still do not understand the difference between the mandatory National Living Wage, introduced by the Government and the Living Wage, which is paid on a voluntary basis and represents the minimum an employee should get paid in order to have a decent standard of living, according to its promoters.

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