National Minimum Wage Offenders - Another 48 Shamed

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Business Minister Jo Swinson has named 48 employers who have failed to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage.

Between them, the companies named owe workers over £162,000 in arrears. They span sectors including fashion, publishing, hospitality, health and fitness, automotive, care and retail.

This latest round of Naming & Shaming brings the total number of companies disgraced under the new Department for Business, Innovation & Skills regime to 210 employers, with total arrears of over £635,000 and total penalties of over £248,000.

Swinson said: “There’s no excuse for companies that don’t pay staff the wages they’re entitled to – whether by wilfully breaking the law or making irresponsible mistakes.

 “The Government is protecting workers by cracking down on employers who ignore minimum wage rules. In addition to naming and shaming, we’ve increased the penalty fines and boosted the resources available to investigate non-compliance.”

The 48 cases named were thoroughly investigated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The scheme was revised in October 2013 to make it simpler to name and shame employers that do not comply with minimum wage rules.

Employers have a duty to be aware of the different legal rates for the National Minimum Wage. The current National Minimum Wage rates are:

• Adult rate (21 and over) - £6.50 per hour
• 18 to 20-year olds - £5.13 per hour
• 16 to 17-year olds - £3.79 per hour
• Apprentice rate - £2.73 per hour

The apprentice rate applies to apprentices aged 16-18 and those aged 19 and over who are in their first year. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage rate for their age.

The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills scheme to name employers who break minimum wage law came into effect on 1 January 2011. The scheme is one of a range of tools at the Government’s disposal to tackle this issue. Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000. In the most serious cases employers can be prosecuted.

From 1 October 2013 the Government revised the naming scheme to make it simpler to name and shame employers who break the law.  Under this scheme the Government will name all employers that have been issued with a Notice of Underpayment (NoU) unless there are  exceptional criteria or have arrears of £100 or less.

Further information about the revised BIS NMW naming scheme can be found here

www.gov.uk/government/publications/enforcing-national-minimum-wage-law

 

The 48 employers named this week are:

• G1 Venues Ltd, trading as Arta Restaurant, Glasgow, neglected to pay £45,124.00 to 2895 workers
• The Clothing Works Ltd (ceased trading), Corby, neglected to pay £17,007.08 to 38 workers
•  Freedom Sportsline Ltd, trading as Foot Locker, London, neglected to pay £16,718.25 to 601 workers
• French Connection UK Ltd, London, neglected to pay £16,436.05 to 367 workers
• Minara Enterprises Ltd, trading as Fakenham Tandoori, Fakenham, neglected to pay £11,696.47 to 1 worker
• Sharon Makin, trading as Clever Clowns Day Nursery, Manchester, neglected to pay £10,572.08 to 6 workers
• UK Gaming Computers Ltd, Colchester, neglected to pay £6,036.99 to 2 workers
• Sarah Sloane and David Sloane, trading as Hawes Side Nursery, Blackpool, neglected to pay £2,825.58 to 3 workers
• Weston Hire Services Ltd, Weston-super-Mare, neglected to pay £2,819.79 to 1 worker
• Miss C Glendon & Miss S Glendon, trading as Ciara’s Tots Day Nursery, Manchester, neglected to pay £2,549.23 to 1 worker
• Florence Opportunities Ltd, trading as Morgan Edward Hair & Beauty, Carmarthen, neglected to pay £2,201.99 to 1 worker
• Champneys Springs Ltd, Swadlincote, neglected to pay £1,950 to 5 workers
• H M Bodyshop Ltd, Colindale, London, neglected to pay £1944.83 to 1 worker
• David Hayton Ltd, Penrith, neglected to pay £1,865.48 to 1 worker
• Caledonian Leisure Sales Ltd, trading as Hurleys Operations, Birmingham, neglected to pay £1,628.63 to 1 worker
• The Bell at Skenfrith Ltd, Skenfrith, neglected to pay £1,619.36 to 1 worker
• Miss Kerris Dunne, Mr Frederick Dunne, and Mrs Alison Ashforth, trading as Aerobrights, Stafford, neglected to pay £1,529.82 to 6 workers
• Mortgages First Ltd, Colchester, neglected to pay £1,475.63 to 3 workers
• Fullworks (Ayrshire) Ltd, trading as The Full Works, Irvine, neglected to pay £1,362.76 to 2 workers
• Crazy Divas Ltd, trading as Divas, Colchester, neglected to pay £1,316.74 to 4 workers
• Glenview Development Partners Ltd, Tullibody, neglected to pay £1,150.42 to 1 worker
• Toni & Guy (Wilmslow) Ltd, Wilmslow, neglected to pay £1,031.12 to 1 worker
• Vertu Motors Plc, trading as Bristol Street Motors, Gateshead, neglected to pay £1,001.42 to 1 worker
• PNP Media Ltd, trading as EBS Marketing, Manchester, neglected to pay £981.06 to 2 workers
• Mr Trevor Trutwein, trading as Ambitions 2, Gillingham, neglected to pay £903.32 to 1 worker
• Mr Anthony Miller, trading as Sportline Car Sales, Coalville, neglected to pay £779.70 to 2 workers
• The Conde Nast Productions Ltd, London, neglected to pay £745.48 to 1 worker
• Mr Yong Zhang, trading as Dragon Cottage Chinese Takeaway, Loughborough, neglected to pay £711.80 to 1 worker
• 99p Stores Ltd, Northampton, neglected to pay £633.39 to 11 workers
• Mr M & Mrs M Hargreaves, trading as Little Windrush, Solihull, neglected to pay £631.51 to 3 workers
• Azad & Sons Ltd, trading as Pizza Hut, Norwich, neglected to pay £622.58 to 23 workers
• The Bull’s Head (Inkberrow) Ltd, trading as The Bull’s Head Inn, Worcester, neglected to pay £580.95 to 3 workers
• Glyn Harding, trading as GCH Transport, Frome, neglected to pay £485.87 to 1 worker
• Mrs Yoko Banks, trading as Ashley House Hotel, Harrogate, neglected to pay £405.07 to 1 worker
• Mr Daniel Smith, trading as Smith’s Hair, Braintree, neglected to pay £385.86 to 1 worker
• Pharmacy 1st Ltd, Gillingham, neglected to pay £363.55 to 1 worker
• Ms Sonia Duncton, trading as The Three Compasses Public House, Alford, neglected to pay £344.72 to 3 workers
• Mrs Geraldine Kelly, trading as New Hope Creche, Enniskillen, neglected to pay £344.30 to 11 workers
• Bounty (UK) Ltd, Welwyn Garden City, neglected to pay £284.26 to 1 worker
• Golden Phoenix Inns Ltd, trading as The Crown Inn, Bristol, neglected to pay £284.01 to 1 worker
• The Widd Group Ltd, trading as Widd Signs, Leeds, neglected to pay £253.50 to 1 worker
• Mr Garry Evis, trading as Woodside MOT and Service Centre, Middlesbrough, neglected to pay £232.55 to 1 worker
• Mr Keith J Pygall, trading Pygall Coaches, Peterlee, neglected to pay £198.34 to 1 worker
• Ranc Care Homes Ltd, trading as Maidstone Care Centre, Ilford, neglected to pay £178.76 to 1 worker
• Call & Deliver Ltd, trading as Pizza Hut, Heckmondwike, neglected to pay £163.45 to 9 workers
• Mr Fernando Rocha, trading as A Tasca, Ely, neglected to pay £152.28 to 1 worker
• Winners 2000 Fitness Ltd, Torquay, neglected to pay £130.78 to 1 worker
• Central Electrical Ltd, Chesterfield, neglected to pay £130.28 to 1 worker

??If you have any questions about the National Minimum wage as a worker or as an employer, call Acas on 0300 123 1100 or visit www.gov.uk

Picture: Business Minister Jo Swinson 

Article written by Brian Shillibeer

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