Companies are advertising vacancies that pay below the minimum wage on online jobs boards, according to research by the TUC.

The union organisation said it found 46 full-time jobs posted on three separate job sites – Reed, Indeed and CV-Library – in a single day in July which appeared to pay less than the national living wage.

The TUC said it believes this “could be the tip of the iceberg” and has called on the Government to crack down on minimum wage breaches as part of its reforms to worker rights.

In April this year, the legal minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over increased by 9.8% to £11.44 per hour.

This would equate to a minimum annual salary of £20,820.20 for a full-time role of 35 hours per week.

For workers between 18 and 20 years old, the minimum wage is £8.60 per hour.

While workers aged under 21 can therefore be paid lower rates of the minimum wage, advertising roles at lower rates potentially excludes older workers and could be unlawful due to indirect discrimination, the TUC said.

The research included one advert, seeking a graduate copywriter in Hampshire, which gave an annual salary range from £15,000 – £20,000.

Another for an assistant accountant with a minimum of two years’ experience gave a salary range of £16,770 – £22,308.

The union group said 26 of the 46 job adverts highlighted also stated that experience was required for the role.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Nobody should be cheated out of the pay they are owed by their employer.

“But our research has found that lots of employers are advertising jobs at less than the legal minimum wage.

“Workers are not the only victims.

“These pay cheats undercut all those good employers who do the right thing, and that creates unfair competition.”