Revealed: East Midlands National Minimum and Living Wage offenders
More than 350 employers have been named and shamed today as the Government publishes the largest ever list of national minimum and living wage offenders.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has named 360 businesses who underpaid 15,520 workers a total of £995,233, with employers in the hairdressing, hospitality and retail sectors the most prolific offenders.
The biggest offender was retail giant Debenhams which failed to pay £134,894.83 to 11,858 workers.
As well as recovering arrears for some of the UK’s lowest paid workers, HMRC issued penalties worth around £800,000.
For the first time, the naming list includes employers who failed to pay eligible workers at least the new National Living Wage rate, which is currently £7.20 for workers aged 25 and over.
Business Minister Margot James said: “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.”
Excuses for underpaying workers included using tips to top up pay, docking workers’ wages to pay for their Christmas party and making staff pay for their own uniforms out of their salary.
The East Midlands employers named are:
– Dr Lakbir Singh and Mr Devinder Singh trading as Nutwood Cottage Day Nursery, Lincoln LN6, who failed to pay £22,082.16 to 11 workers
– Industria Personnel Services Ltd, Leicester LE1, which failed to pay £14,377.34 to 1,837 workers
– Mr James Wilson trading as R J Cleaning, Lincoln LN6, who failed to pay £8,739.38 to 16 workers
– Wollaton Village Day Nurseries Limited, Nottingham NG8, which failed to pay £6,609.91 to 1 worker
– Peak Active Sport Limited, Glossop SK13, which failed to pay £6,064.18 to 5 workers
– Rail Vision (Europe) Ltd, Castle Donington DE74, which failed to pay £4,470.69 to 2 workers
– Mark Scott Salons Limited, Derby DE1, wihich failed to pay £4,387.16 to 2 workers
– Istanbul Kebab House Limited, Leicester LE3, which failed to pay £2,841.66 to 2 workers
– Barlborough Parish Council Management Committee, Chesterfield S43, which failed to pay £2,038.36 to 1 worker
– Good Condition Limited, Lincoln LN3, which failed to pay £1,517.25 to 1 worker
– Collective Minds (London) Limited, Leicester LE8, which failed to pay £1,286.79 to 1 worker
– Headroom Hairdressing Limited, Grantham NG31, which failed to pay £963.49 to 2 workers
– Mrs Anu Thapa trading as Anu Beauty, Northampton NN5, who failed to pay £954.54 to 1 worker
– Hatzfeld Care Limited, Newark NG24, which failed to pay £877.09 to 4 workers
– H.K.S Retail Limited, Leicester LE1, which failed to pay £842.42 to 10 workers
– Mr Timothy P Maskrey trading as Peak Fruits, Hope Valley S32, who failed to pay £776.35 to 1 worker
– The ECO Roof and Wall Company Limited, Nottingham NG8, which failed to pay £770.50 to 1 worker
– Wykeham Staff Services Limited, Spalding PE12, which failed to pay £660.76 to 16 workers
– Mrs Mary Macphail trading as Hair Progress, Nottingham NG6, who failed to pay £619.94 to 1 worker
– CCR&L Inns Ltd trading as The Millstone Inn, Stamford PE9, which failed to pay £531.88 to 1 worker
– Lincoln College Corporate Support Solutions Limited, Lincoln LN2, which failed to pay £526.51 to 1 worker
– Beauty Temple (Nottingham) Limited, Nottingham NG1, which failed to pay £508.60 to 13 workers
– Dhadkan Bollywood Club Ltd, Leicester LE4, which failed to pay £225.58 to 4 workers
– Harmony Care and Support Limited, Nottingham NG10, which failed to pay £214.33 to 1 worker
– Stephen Vaughan trading as Harborough Autos, Market Harborough LE16, who failed to pay £169.21 to 1 worker
– Mr Thirunavukkarasu Kulandaisamy trading as Esses Mini Market, Derby DE22, who failed to pay £164.82 to 2 workers
– Comfort Call Limited trading as Birbeck House, Nottingham NG8, which failed to pay £164.46 to 2 workers
– Security Resource Solutions Ltd, Northampton NN3, which failed to pay £149.50 to 1 worker
– Ms Lorraine Pearson trading as Keyworth Tavern, Nottingham NG12, who failed to pay £133.65 to 1 worker
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: “The government needs to crack down further on employers who failed to pay the national minimum wage to some of the most low-paid and vulnerable workers in the country.
“The fact that the government has mounted only 13 prosecutions for non-compliance since 2007 is pathetic. In America, bad bosses are jailed and heavily fined for ‘wage theft’ which is what this is, exploiting workers in such a shameful fashion.
“The fact that an established household name like Debenhams is on the list is appalling. This is a major retailer with a large HR department – how could such non-payment be overlooked for so long?
“If top executives with mega pay packets weren’t getting their bonuses paid on time, all hell would break loose.”
Since the naming and shaming scheme was introduced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in October 2013, more than 1,000 employers have been named, with arrears totalling more than £4.5m. More than £2m in fines have been issued to national minimum and living wage offenders.
There are currently more than 1,500 open cases which HMRC is investigating.
