Care firms shamed are just the tip of the iceberg, says UNISON

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today (Wednesday) named 360 businesses who underpaid 15,520 workers a total of £995,233, with employers in the hairdressing, hospitality and retail sectors the most prolific offenders.

As well as recovering arrears for some of the UK’s lowest paid workers, HMRC issued penalties worth around £800,000.

For the first time, the naming list includes employers who failed to pay eligible workers at least the new National Living Wage rate, which is currently £7.20 for workers aged 25 and over.

Commenting on the 360 employers named and shamed today by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for failing to pay the national minimum wage, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“This list fails to shame the larger care firms who are equally guilty of denying staff a fair wage. Those in the spotlight today are just the tip of the iceberg.

“HM Revenue & Customs needs to get much tougher with more inspections to identify scrooge employers.

“When a care firm breaks wage laws, the chances are it’s likely to cheating more than just a handful of its workers. Pay records must be checked thoroughly so all employees get the money they are owed.

“The government must insist that bosses stop duping staff with bafflingly complex payslips. Care companies must show workers how their pay is calculated and prove that at the very least they’re earning a legal wage.”

In the South East, the following employers have made the list:

  1. Tag Hotel Limited trading as Aviator Hotel, Farnborough GU14, failed to pay £32,094.17 to 37 workers.
  2. Mr Anthony Y Lloyd & Mrs Peta S Lloyd trading as Fallowfield Country House Hotel, Abingdon OX13, failed to pay £19,436.88 to 6 workers
  3. Places for Children Limited trading as The Meadows Nursery Schools, Eastbourne BN22, failed to pay £6,339.65 to 4 workers
  4. Mr Peter Kilmartin trading as PK Motor Services, Aylesbury HP21, failed to pay £5,476.33 to 1 worker
  5. Mr Kevin Falconer & Mrs Victoria Falconer trading as CD Scooters, Brighton BN2, failed to pay £5,434.70 to 1 worker
  6. Mr Lawrence Peter Meer trading as Central Auto Repair Services, Worthing BN14, failed to pay £4,449.11 to 1 worker
  7. Daniel Jordan London Limited, Sevenoaks TN13, failed to pay £2,471.58 to 1 worker
  8. Simpson Hilder Associates Limited, Lyndhurst SO43, failed to pay £2,208.50 to 1 worker
  9. Ballarino Limited trading as Salvo & Alex, Reading RG1, failed to pay £1,761.70 to 2 workers
  10. Mr Miles Tarpey, Mr David Slade and Mr Jason Hallowes trading as Slades Estate Agents, Christchurch BH23, failed to pay £1,717.59 to 1 worker
  11. Harvey & Bacon Limited, Ashford TN24, failed to pay £1,622.14 to 2 workers
  12. Q’s Entertainment Ltd, Redhill RH1, failed to pay £1,581.22 to 1 worker
  13. Mr Sujith Ratnasingam trading as Wok Express, High Wycombe HP13, failed to pay £1,413.83 to 1 worker
  14. Platinum Health & Fitness (UK) Limited, Newhaven BN9, failed to pay £1,372.28 to 1 worker
  15. Beadles Joinery Limited, Chatham ME5, failed to pay £1,248.34 to 1 worker
  16. Advisalink Ltd, Southampton SO14, failed to pay £1,230.12 to 1 worker
  17. Subwey (sic) Southampton Ltd trading as Subway, Southampton SO14 3HE, failed to pay £1,174.86 to 79 workers
  18. Ralph Spence trading as Ralphs Hairdressing, West Malling ME19, failed to pay £1,124.18 to 1 worker
  19. Apex Prime Care Ltd, Romsey S051, failed to pay £1,087.48 to 1 worker
  20. Chic Dry Cleaners Ltd trading as Chic, Kingston-upon-Thames KT1, failed to pay £974.50 to 1 worker
  21. S&J Bastian trading as Marwell Hotel, Winchester SO21, failed to pay £883.27 to 1 worker
  22. Mr Mohammed Choudhury trading as Good Response, Milton Keynes MK2, failed to pay £825.04 to 1 worker
  23. Hadengrange Limited trading as Winkworth, Forest Row RH18, failed to pay £780.36 to 2 workers
  24. Mrs Trudy McHugh trading as The Salon at the Barbers, Eastleigh SO50, failed to pay £662.47 to 2 workers
  25. Lambourne Golf Club (Previous Owner), Slough SL1, failed to pay £660.59 to 1 worker
  26. Bula Restaurants Limited trading as The Ditton, Surbiton KT6, failed to pay £653.24 to 9 workers
  27. Xingui Limited trading as Jasmine House, Chichester PO19, failed to pay £649.38 to 1 worker
  28. YUM! Restaurants International Limited trading as KFC, Surbiton KT6 5LR, failed to pay £623.10 to 1 worker
  29. Café Destino Limited, Hook RG29, failed to pay £444.78 to 3 workers
  30. Berties (Romsey) Ltd, Romsey SO51, failed to pay £436.01 to 1 worker
  31. Full House Restaurants Ltd trading as Domino’s Pizza, Woking GU21, failed to pay £342.30 to 1 worker
  32. Thamesline Couriers Limited, Slough SL1, failed to pay £297.91 to 4 workers
  33. Digi-Cat Media Ltd, Ashford TN23, failed to pay £249.99 to 1 worker
  34. BS Care Limited, Havant PO9, failed to pay £242.22 to 2 workers
  35. JFMerchants Ltd trading as Bin Ella Wine and Champagne Bar, Faversham ME13, failed to pay £184.25 to 1 worker
  36. Reading Island Bar Limited, Reading RG4, failed to pay £130.00 to 1 worker
  37. Mr Kenneth Karl Belcher trading as MBFI Plumbing Services, Didcot OX11, failed to pay £130.00 to 1 worker
  38. PMC Repair Specialists Limited, Bognor Regis PO22, failed to pay £128.96 to 1 worker
  39. Slough Southern Fried Chicken Limited trading as Southern Fried Chicken & Pizza, Slough SL1, failed to pay £121.34 to 2 workers

Excuses for underpaying workers included using tips to top up pay, docking workers’ wages to pay for their Christmas party and making staff pay for their own uniforms out of their salary.