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Government names and shames companies failing to pay minimum wage

The Government has named and shamed 37 employers who are failing to pay their staff the national minimum wage.

It claimed the companies collectively owed £177k to their workers, triggering financial penalties of more than £51,000.

The Department for Business said each company was thoroughly investigated by HM Revenue and Customs after workers made complaints to the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline.

Since a new regime came into force in October 2013 close to100 employers have now been publicly outed by the Government

Unions have reportedly been pressing for larger fines against firms found to be paying less than the statutory rate of £6.50 an hour for adults, £5.13 for 18 to 20-year-olds, £3.79 for 16 and 17-year-olds and £2.73 for apprentices.

Business Minister Jo Swinson said: “Paying less than the minimum wage is illegal, immoral and completely unacceptable.

“If employers break this law they need to know that we will take tough action by naming, shaming and fining them as well as helping workers recover the hundreds of thousands of pounds in pay owed to them.

“We are also looking at what more we can do to make sure workers are paid fairly in the first place.

“As well as being publicly named and shamed, employers that fail to pay their workers the national minimum wage face penalties of up to £20k.

“We are legislating through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill so that this penalty can be applied to each underpaid worker rather than per employer.”

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