Companies named and shamed for not paying minimum wage
WEST MIDLANDS employers are among a list of nearly 200 that have been named by the Government for failing to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage.
10 companies based in the region had arrears of more than £1,000. Regis UK, in Coventry, was the country’s third-largest offender, as it owed more than £25,000 to 604 workers. Second on the West Midlands list was Birmingham estate agents Rice Chamberlains Estate Agents, which owed three workers £6,581.
Business Minister Margot James said it was “not acceptable that some employers fail to pay at least the minimum wage their workers are entitled to”, and will continue to publish the names of those companies that do not pay their staff correctly.
Care companies featured regularly on the list, including Lichfield children’s home Voyage 1, which owed £5,337.73, Silverdale Care Homes in Newcastle-under-Lyme, which owed £2,590.99, and Nuneaton-based Universal Care Services (UK), which owed £1,085.93.
Childcare companies also featured – Minee Monkeys in Oldbury owed an individual £5,209.96 and Small Talk Nurseries in Birmingham owed £1,499.30 to 10 people.
Other four-figure arrears were accrued by Catering Academy in Tamworth (£4,220.48), Castle Carpets in Shrewsbury (£2,898.12) and clothes shop Misters of Stafford (£1,254.76).
There are currently five different minimum wage hourly rates – employees aged 25 and over receive £7.20, aged 21-24 get £6.70, aged 18-20 get £5.30, 16-17 get £3.87 and the apprentice rate is £3.30.
