Minimum wage increase effective 1 April 2024

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden has announced that minimum wage rates will increase from 1 April 2024. The adult minimum wage will go up by $0.45, bringing the minimum wage up to $23.15 per hour, a “cautious” 2% increase in order to keep in line with inflation.

What does this mean for you?

If you have staff on minimum wage, talk to whoever runs your payroll system to make sure they’re ready for the changes. Even if you don’t have staff on minimum wage, now is a good time to review their remuneration to ensure you remain competitive. If you do make any changes to wages, recalculate your budgets for the rest of the year.

Employees on minimum wage

• If you have staff on minimum wage, send them a letter or email ahead of 1 April advising of the increase

Other employees

• If you have staff on the starting-out or training minimum wage, now is a good time to check when they’ll be eligible to move to the adult rate
• Do your employment agreements provide for overtime or allowances? If yes, check to ensure the wage increase does not have any impacts on what is specified in the agreement. If it does, you will need to provide affected employees with a variation letter to confirm the change

Need further help with anything minimum wage or remuneration related? Talk to your local Baker Tilly Staples Rodway advisor.