Britain's government just named and shamed 115 companies that don't pay the minimum wage

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monsoon

Monsoon

An advert for the British retailer Monsoon.

Britain's government just named and shamed 115 companies which failed to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage.

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The current National Minimum Wage rates for those 21 years old and over is £6.70 per hour. For 18 to 20-year olds, it is £5.30 per hour.

Business Minister Nick Boles revealed in a statement that the worst culprit was High Street retailer Monsoon, which failed to pay 1,438 workers the national minimum wage. In total, the British government said this resulted in the group neglecting to pay £104,507.83 ($160,885).

Monsoon told the BBC that wages may have dipped "below the minimum because it had a policy of offering staff discounted fashions to wear at work." It added that the cost was taken out of their wages, taking them below the national minimum wage threshold.

"Employers that fail to pay the minimum wage hurt the living standards of the lowest paid and their families," Business Minister Boles. "As a one nation government on the side of working people we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage receives it."

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"Next April we will introduce a new National Living Wage which will mean a £900-a-year pay rise for someone working full time on the minimum wage and we will enforce this equally robustly."

In July, UK Chancellor George Osborne said the government would scrap the National Minimum Wage - £6.50 an hour for workers - for a new "National Living Wage" of £7.20 for workers over the age of 25, in April next year.

The government decided to release a "name and shame" list of companies that fail to pay the national minimum wage in October 2013. Since the scheme was introduced, 400 employers have been named and shamed, with total arrears of over £1,181,000 and total penalties of over £513,000.

Other firms that top the list include:

  • Tyne & Wear Riding for the Disabled Association - £27,152 to six workers
  • Project Security UK Ltd - £23,857 to 18 workers
  • Carl Keith Salons Ltd - £20,535 to five workers
  • Cornwall Glass & Glazing Ltd - £14,254 to nine workers

You can see the full list here.

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