Employers Failing to Pay Minimum Wage

The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) has identified over 200 Employers that have failed to pay minimum wage to their workers. This includes major high street brands such as WH Smith and Lloyds Pharmacy, as well as many small businesses and sole traders.

Businesses that have failed to pay minimum wage must pay back what they owe to their staff as well as face financial penalties, so this could be a costly mistake.

There are a few pitfalls that may cause you to unintentionally underpay your workers. 39% of the Employers listed failed to correctly pay their workers for the time that they work. To avoid this, make sure that you include in your worker's pay any time spent attending compulsory meetings, travelling from client to client or time spent carrying out opening or closing duties.

The DBT states that even though not all underpayments will be intentional, there are still no excuses for underpaying staff, so it is important to review your business practices regarding pay regularly.