At least one estate agency and one letting agency have been listed on a ‘name and shame’ roll-call of companies not paying at least the legal minimum wage to all of their employees.
Many of the companies are believed to have been breaking the law because of organisational oversights rather than intentional low paying. Amongst those named and shamed are substantial companies such as Debenhams department chain and branches of the KFC and Subway fast food businesses as well as hundreds of smaller firms.
Amongst the 360 businesses named on the list - put up on the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy website at 7pm yesterday evening - is Right Lettings Company Limited, of Rushden in Northamptonshire, which “failed to pay £1,167.07 to one worker”.
Also listed is Aspire Estate Agents of Rayleigh in Essex, which “failed to pay £824.03 to one worker.”
In total across the 360 companies some 15,520 workers were found to have been underpaid a total of £995,233 with employers in the hairdressing, hospitality and retail sectors the most prolific offenders.
As well as recovering arrears for some of the UK’s lowest paid workers, HMRC issued penalties worth around £800,000.
“Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and this government will ensure they get it. That is why we have named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished” explains Business Minister Margot James.
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Tut tut. Hopefully they now change their ways. No excuse for it in this day and age.
No surprise to see hospitality and retail as the two main offenders - they've been getting away with it for years and will continue to try and get away with it, so this name and shame list is a good way of forcing their hands.
Debenhams, KFC and Subway care about their brands - and their brand perception - so they'll be keen to minimise the fallout from this. Just look how Michel Roux Jr has been tainted by revelations about not paying the minimum wage and not giving waiting staff proper tips. His whole "friendly face of the high-end cuisine market" has been tainted as a result.
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