A new post of enforcement officer is created and enforcement officers will have quite draconian "big brother" powers to require production of information and to enter premise (National Minimum Wage Act 1998 s.13).

They will have power to issue enforcement notices (National Minimum Wage Act 1998 s.19). Subject to a right of appeal to an employment tribunal, if an enforcement notice is not complied with it can be followed by a penalty notice imposing a fine, initially at £7.20 per worker per day (National Minimum Wage Act 1998 s.21).

Finally, the Act created six new criminal offences, punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (see Fines for offences ) are created (National Minimum Wage Act 1998 s.31).

The first conviction under the Act took place in 2007 (see 2007/08/28 - HMRC Press Release "National Minimum Wage: First criminal prosecution").

See also notes at Minimum Wage/enforcement .