The Government has named and shamed almost 200 businesses for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage.
The 197 employers, included football clubs, care homes, hotels, hairdressers and recruitment agencies. Altogether they owed staff £465,291 in wage arrears. All the outstanding money has now been paid to the workers.
Top of the Government’s list of minimum wage offenders was the London-based San Lorenzo restaurants in Knightsbridge and Wimbledon. It owed a total of £99,541.98 spread across 30 of its workers, after the company used tips to subsidise wages.
Brighton & Hove Albion FC, were on the list for owing £2,861.64 to one of its employees and also six recruitment agencies were identified, together owing more than £55,000.
Since the naming and shaming list was first introduced three years ago, the names of 687 employers have been published, collectively owing more than £3.5m in arrears.
The minister for small business, consumer protection and corporate social responsibility, Margot James, highlighted the government’s determination to “build an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few”.
She said: “It is not acceptable that some employers fail to pay at least the minimum wage their workers are entitled to, so we will continue to crack down on those who ignore the law, including by naming and shaming them.”
Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s general secretary welcomed the Government’s drive to ‘name and shame’ non-paying employers. She said: “Ministers are absolutely right to name and shame these companies, but we also need to see prosecutions for the worst offenders.
“We know that thousands more rogue employers are cheating their staff and getting away with it. The government must redouble their enforcement efforts.”
