The Government has named 48 firms on its most recent list of employers that have failed to pay their workers the national minimum wage, with chain restaurants, fashion brands and a 99p store among those that have been exposed.
Some of the latest cases to have been investigated by HMRC include French Connection in London, which is said to have failed to pay £16,400 to 367 of its workers; Toni & Guy in Wilmslow (Cheshire), which is said to owe £1,031 to one individual worker; and Call & Deliver, a Yorkshire-based business that trades as Pizza Hut, which allegedly owes £163 to nine workers.
The 48 businesses collectively owed £162,000 in payment arrears to their employees, with penalties totalling more than £67,000.
To date, over 200 employers have been publically named since the Government’s new measures came into effect from October 2013, with total arrears of £635,000 and penalties of almost £250,000 being highlighted.
Jo Swinson, the Business Minister, said: “There’s no excuse for companies that don’t pay staff the wages they’re entitled to – whether by wilfully breaking the law, or making irresponsible mistakes.
“The Government is protecting workers by cracking down on employers who ignore minimum wage rules.
“In addition to naming and shaming, we’ve increased the penalty fines and boosted the resources available to investigate noncompliance.”
Campaigners have also called for local authorities to be given greater powers and resources to ensure that employers pay their workers at least the national minimum wage.