Business minister names and shames 115 minimum wage cheats in £389,000 warning [Full list]

More than 115 minimum wage cheats have been named and shamed by the UK government in a bid to stop employees from missing out on their rightful pay. The Department for Business said the firms owed £389,000 in arrears and the employers spanned the sectors – from hairdressing to education.

Fashion chain Monsoon Accessorize topped the list after neglecting to pay more than 1,400 workers £104,507 worth of pay. The firm said the error incurred because the company offered its employees discounted work clothes, which was taken out of their wages.

The wage issue came to light when HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) reviewed its payroll system and Monsoon subsequently stopped the discount practice. But the authorities still slapped the company with a £28,147 fine and forced the firm to reimburse its short-changed staff.

"Monsoon Accessorize has recently been working with HMRC in a wide-ranging review of its payroll practices in relation to the national minimum wage (NMW)," a spokesman for the company told IBTimes UK."

"This review has revealed an historic, unintentional breach of the regulations in respect of its staff discount policies for Monsoon clothing. Monsoon is pleased that this issue has been identified and has already taken prompt action to remedy it."

Ministers said since the introduction of the "name and shame" in October 2013, more than £1.1m arrears have been flagged up and £513,000 worth of penalties issued. The data comes after the NMW hit £6.70 an hour and will rise to £9 an hour by 2020 as part of Chancellor George Osborne's new national living wage (NLW).

"Employers that fail to pay the minimum wage hurt the living standards of the lowest paid and their families," said Nick Boles, the business minister. "As a one nation government on the side of working people, we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the NMW receives it."

More information about NMW law and compliance can be found on Acas online. Elsewhere, employers can call HMRC for help on the issue at 0800 917 2368. The full list of minimum wage cheats can be viewed below.

UPDATE (26 October)

The Department for Business admitted wrongly naming Danhouse Security and C & R Tyres after a probe from IBTimes UK.