Minimum Wage: Where is the Law About a Trainee's Pay?

A person must be an employee¹ in order to be entitled to the minimum wage (MW).

The Government has announced that the hourly rate of the MW will increase from $8.50 to $10.50 from 1 June 2025. A video of the announcement can be viewed on YouTube.

The Government also agreed to the Minimum Wage Board's recommendation that 85% of the MW should be paid to a person on a recognised training programme that does not exceed three months.

But where is the law that implements the recommendation? Such a law is not mentioned in the Minimum Wage (National and Sectoral Minimum Wage) Order 2025 (SI 2025/55). Is the law mentioned in an amendment to the Minimum Wage Act 2017 or any other labour law? 

Please note that it is unlawful to pay 85% of the MW to an employee¹ - if there is no legal basis for doing so.

Statutory Paternity Leave/Pay

The Family Leave Bill 2005 (dated 28 July 2025) was published after 1 June 2025 - even though the Government announced that statutory paternity leave/pay would come into force on 1 June 2025. See the comments below. 

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1. The definition of an employee can be found in section 2 of the Minimum Wage Act 2017.

Disability Discrimination (Barbados)

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2025 (RPDA) came into force on 6 February 2025. However, the Employment (Prevention of Discrimination) Act 2020

(E(PD)A) has provided discrimination rights for persons with disabilities in relation to their employment from 21 September 2020. For example, under section 7 of the E(PD)A, an employer has a legal duty to make a reasonable adjustment for a person with a disability in relation to their employment.

Surprisingly, there is a significant difference between the statutory definitions of a disability. Under the RPDA, a disability (e.g. a mental disability) must be "certified by a registered medical practitioner". But, under E(PD)A, a disability (e.g. a mental disability) does not have to be certified by a registered medical practitioner.