30 Jan Topics for Elections | Minimum Wage Increase
In response to public comments regarding the current advertising campaign about the minimum wage increase, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection would like to emphasise that this is a campaign designed to inform employees and employers of the changes to the minimum wage that come into effect on 1 February. The campaign was formulated and agreed last December.
This campaign is exactly the same format and design as the previous one run on the minimum wage in January 2019 and is part of the Department’s regular information output – in this case to highlight the increase in the National Minimum Wage to employers, business and to low paid workers themselves.
The Department routinely runs similar information campaigns when there are changes to matters relating to social welfare e.g. Budget changes, Working Family Payment, Paternity Benefit, Parent’s Benefit.
The minimum wage campaign is being run now because the increase in the rate is coming into effect on February 1st following the recommendation by the Low Pay Commission to assess the uncertainty around Brexit before any decision to make the increase.
Further information on minimum wage increase
In October 2019, the Government accepted the proposal to increase the minimum wage by 30 cent per hour and a decision was taken to postpone any increase until there was greater clarity regarding Brexit and the ability of business to absorb an increase.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection announced the increase on the National Minimum Wage on 19 December following a decision made by Government.
The Department planned an information campaign to inform employees and employers of the change and booked space and times with an advertising agency in December. The campaign was always scheduled to begin on Thursday, 16 January, and to run for two weeks until Thursday, 30 January. It was decided that the campaign would include the same print and digital advertising as was used for a similar campaign in 2019. It includes print adverts in the Irish Times, Irish Independent (+ Seachtain), Irish Examiner, Irish Daily Mail, Irish Sun, Irish Daily Star, Sunday Times, and Business Post and digital advertising on websites including Joe.ie, Her.ie, RTE and the Irish Independent.
Since the Minimum Wage came under its remit, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has advertised increases made to it i.e. January 2018, January 2019 and January 2020.