Hundreds of employers handed penalties for illegally underpaying workers

employers told to repay over £7.3 million in wages owed to workers to aid the cost of living for some of the lowest earners

nearly 400 employers, including well-known brands, face consequences for failing to pay the minimum wage through £12.6 million in penalties

around 60,000 workers found to have been underpaid as employers who break the rules are held to account

Thousands of hard-working Brits who have been denied over £7.3 million in pay by their employers have been directly repaid as part of latest Government crackdown on those who fail to pay the minimum wage. 

The findings come alongside enforcement action against businesses failing to pay their staff the legal National Minimum Wage, making clear that workers won’t be made to pay for the mistakes or negligence of those they work for, regardless of how big or well-known they are. 

New figures show a total of around £12.6 million in penalties have been issued to 389 employers, with these fines coming on top of the repaid wages.

The vast majority of businesses in this country do the right thing by paying their staff properly and playing by the rules. It’s not fair on them when others are able to get ahead by not paying the wages their workers are owed. 

A good employer doesn’t build their business on the back of unpaid wages, and I look forward to working with the new Fair Work Agency to ensure its powers are used to crack down on those who think the rules don’t apply to them.

Data published today, available in the background section of this press release, reveals that businesses across sectors including social care, sports and retail, were among those failing to comply with minimum wage laws.

This is the first ‘naming round’ since the Chancellor’s Budget commitment to publish more frequently. This puts more pressure on employers to keep their payroll up to date and boosts workers’ confidence that when they’re treated poorly by their boss, swift justice will follow. 

Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: