Running a sandwich shop on
the National Minimum Wage
August 2011. Kindly contributed by Claire Douglas, Newcastle College.
Search for Claire on www.skillsworkshop.org
Visit the download page for this resource to find detailed teaching notes, SfL
curriculum links and the accompanying PDF worksheet.
Curriculum links
For underpinning the following Functional Maths coverage & range statements:
Level 1 Add and subtract decimals up to two decimal places
Level 2 Carry out calculations with numbers of any size in practical contexts, to a
given number of decimal places
National
Minimum Wage
‘The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is
a minimum amount per hour that most
workers in the UK are entitled to be paid.
If you are being paid below the NMW
you can contact the Pay and Work
Rights Helpline for confidential help’
(www.direct.gov.uk)
How much??
There are different levels of NMW, depending on your age and whether you
are an apprentice. The current rates are:
UK National Minimum Wage from 1 October 2011

£6.08 - the main rate for workers aged 21 and over

£4.98 - the 18-20 rate

£3.68 - the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age but under 18

£2.60 - the apprentice rate, for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the
first year of their apprenticeship
The age at which you are entitled to the main rate was reduced from 22 to 21 on 1
October 2010. The apprentice rate was introduced on the same date.
Source: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/NationalMinimumWage/index.htm
Sandwich Shop
Jake – 35 years old
Amelia - 16 years old
Joe - 17 years old
Lee - 20 years old
UK National Minimum Wage from 1 October 2011

£6.08 - the main rate for workers aged 21 and over

£4.98 - the 18-20 rate

£3.68 - the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age but under 18
Source: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/NationalMinimumWage/index.htm
How much would it cost to employ Jake
and Amelia for 1 hour?
£6.08
£3.68 +
£9.76
UK National Minimum Wage from 1 October 2011

£6.08 - the main rate for workers aged 21 and over

£4.98 - the 18-20 rate

£3.68 - the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age
but under 18
Sandwich Shop
• The manager of the Newcastle branch has
a £17 budget to staff the busy 12 o’clock
lunch hour on Friday.
• Can he afford to employ all 4 members of
staff?
• How much over / under budget will he be?
UK National Minimum
Wage from 1 October 2011

£6.08 - the main rate for
workers aged 21 and
over

£4.98 - the 18-20 rate

£3.68 - the 16-17 rate for
workers above school
leaving age but under 18
£6.08
£3.68
£3.68 +
£4.98
£18.42
Jake – 35
Lee – 20
Joe – 17
Amelia - 16
No – he can’t afford to pay all 4 staff members,
he would be £1.42 over budget.
Joe - 17
• Calculate how much Joe would earn for an
8 hour shift.
£3.68
x8
£29.44
X
8
£3
60p
8p
£24
£4.80 64p
£29.44
Now complete the worksheet