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Over 200 employers are today (21 June 2023) being named by government for failing to pay their lowest paid staff the minimum wage.
- 202 businesses named for failing to pay the minimum wage to lowest paid workers.
- Employers ordered to repay workers and face penalties of nearly £7 million after breaches left 63,000 workers out of pocket.
- Follows on from 9.7% increase in National Living Wage and Minimum Wage paid to almost 3 million workers.
Over 200 employers are today (21 June 2023) being named by government for failing to pay their lowest paid staff the minimum wage.
The 202 employers were found to have failed to pay their workers almost £5 million in a clear breach of National Minimum Wage (NMW) law, leaving around 63,000 workers out of pocket.
Companies being named today range from major high street brands to small businesses and sole traders, in a clear message from government that no employer is exempt from paying their workers the statutory minimum wage.
Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said:
Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working staff.
Most businesses do the right thing and look after their employees, but we’re sending a clear message to the minority who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you’ll face the consequences.
The businesses named in today’s list have since paid back what they owe to their staff and have also faced financial penalties. The investigations by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs concluded between 2017 and 2019.
The employers named today previously underpaid workers in the following ways:
- 39% of employers deducted pay from workers’ wages.
- 39% of employers failed to pay workers correctly for their working time.
- 21% of employers paid the incorrect apprenticeship rate.
Whilst not all minimum wage underpayments are intentional, there is no excuse for underpaying workers.