WHSmith's Group HRD: How will the National Living Wage effect employer expectations?

The National Living Wage comes into effect next month, accompanied by multiple problems.

B&Q has already adapted to the news by scrapping double pay on Sundays and bank holidays, the Daily Mail reports. It goes on to say that many long-term members of staff have now lost the option of bulking up their pay packet with overtime.

"Our people are very important to us and B&Q is committed to being a good payer and remaining so in future," a spokesperson told the Daily Mail. "The majority of our employees will be unaffected or better off."

Speaking at Ceridian’s 20^th annual conference, Anthony Lawrence, Group HR Director at WHSmith, said: "Morally, I agree with the National Living Wage but it's a commercial challenge."