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A further 37 employers who failed to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage have been named today (15 January 2015) by Business Minister Jo Swinson.

Between them they owe workers a total of over 拢177,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling over 拢51,000.

The government has already named 55 employers since the new naming regime came into force in October 2013. They had total arrears of over 拢139,000 and total penalties of over 拢60,000.

Due to the importance the government places on compliance and enforcement, HM Revenue and Customs鈥� (HMRC) National Minimum Wage enforcement budget will be increased by a further 拢3 million in financial year 2015 to 2016 鈥� taking the total to 拢12.2 million. The extra money will go towards increasing the number of HMRC compliance officers to identify businesses that exploit their workers by paying them below the National Minimum Wage.

Business Minister Jo Swinson said:

Paying less than the minimum wage is illegal, immoral and completely unacceptable. If employers break this law they need to know that we will take tough action by naming, shaming and fining them as well as helping workers recover the hundreds of thousands of pounds in pay owed to them.

We are also looking at what more we can do to make sure workers are paid fairly in the first place. As well as being publicly named and shamed, employers that fail to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage face penalties of up to 拢20,000. We are legislating through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill so that this penalty can be applied to each underpaid worker rather than per employer.

Employers who are unsure of National Minimum Wage rules can also get free advice via the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.

The 37 employers are:

• Kings Group LLP, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay 拢53,808.91 to 53 workers
• Kings Group Lettings LLP, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay 拢26,893.43 to 49 workers
• Chi Yip Group Ltd, Middleton, neglected to pay 拢15,566.78 to 13 workers
• Kingsclere Nurseries Ltd trading as Abacus Day Nursery, Newbury, neglected to pay 拢12,904.19 to 8 workers.
• Ms Thap Thi Ly trading as Sweet N Sour, Fleetwood, neglected to pay 拢11,039.14 to 2 workers
• Michael Kearney trading as Electrical Estimates, Ceredigion, neglected to pay 拢5,557.91 to 4 workers
• ABC Early Learning and Childcare Centre UK Ltd, Wolverhampton, neglected to pay 拢5,329.25 to 68 workers
• C J Hartley Ltd trading as Headwork, Sheffield, neglected to pay 拢4,762.64 to 4 workers
• Mrs Kelly Jayne Lockley trading as Diva Hair Design, Walsall, neglected to pay 拢4,103.65 to a worker
• Browncow Tanning Ltd trading as Fake Bake Hair & Beauty Boutique, Glasgow, neglected to pay 拢3,406.66 to 2 workers
• J Wood Joiners & Builders Ltd, Edinburgh, neglected to pay 拢3,373.19 to 4 workers
• Louise Ross Trading as Luxe Salon, Leeds, neglected to pay 拢3,368.13 to a worker
• H&M Hennes & Mauritz UK Ltd, London, neglected to pay 拢2,604.87 to 540 workers
• Building Projects Ltd, Dundee, neglected to pay 拢2,345.85 to 3 workers
• David A Farrer Ltd, Morecambe, neglected to pay 拢2,261.00 to a worker
• Julian鈥檚 Hair Salon Ltd, Newbury, neglected to pay 拢2,131.35 to a worker
• Motorists Discount Store Ltd trading as TMS Autoparts, Manchester, neglected to pay 拢2,025.19 to a worker
• Ms Dawn Platts trading as Level 2 Hair Studio, Barnsley, neglected to pay 拢1,186.89 to a worker
• Myers and Family Ltd, Wakefield, neglected to pay 拢1.598.82 to a worker
• Welcome Break Holdings Ltd, Newport Pagnell, neglected to pay 拢1,318.70 to 19 workers
• Callum Austin Ltd trading as Jason Austin Hairdressers, Kettering, neglected to pay 拢1,899.66 to 2 workers
• Mrs Karen Riley Trading as Crave, Preston, neglected to pay 拢1,179.09 to 7 workers
• RPM Performance Rally World Ltd, Maldon, neglected to pay 拢998.71 to a worker
• Ego Hair & Beauty (Anglia) Ltd, Colchester, neglected to pay 拢985.55 to a worker
• Mr Jinit Shah trading as Crystal Financial Solutions, Middlesex, neglected to pay 拢941.65 to a worker
• Counted4 Community Interest Company, Sunderland, neglected to pay 拢930.73 to a worker
• HAE Automotive Services Ltd, Harrogate (ceased trading), neglected to pay 拢798.16 to a worker
• Vision on Digital Ltd, Ossett, neglected to pay 拢683.86 to a worker
• Ultimate Care UK Ltd, Ipswich, neglected to pay 拢613.79 to 7 workers
• Century Motors (Sheffield) Ltd, Sheffield, neglected to pay 拢571.72 to a worker
• Mr D Eastwell & Mr G Brinkler trading as The Salon, Letchworth Garden City, neglected to pay 拢409.85 to a worker
• Rumble (Bedworth) Ltd, Nuneaton, neglected to pay 拢404.41 to a worker
• Shannons Ltd, Worthing neglected to pay 拢313.76 to a worker
• Holmes Cleaning Company, Worksop neglected to pay 拢240.48 to a worker
• Learnplay Foundation Ltd, West Bromwich, neglected to pay 拢224.73 to a worker
• Adrien Mackenzie trading as Maverick Models, Manchester, neglected to pay 拢205.52 to a worker
• QW Security Ltd, Hartlepool, neglected to pay 拢126.20 to a worker

The 37 cases named today were thoroughly investigated by HMRC.

The scheme was revised in October 2013 to make it simpler to name and shame employers that do not comply with minimum wage rules.

Notes to editors

1.Employers have a duty to be aware of the different legal rates for the National Minimum Wage. The current National Minimum Wage rates are:

• Adult rate (21 and over) - 拢6.50 per hour
• 18 to 20 year olds - 拢5.13 per hour
• 16 to 17 year olds - 拢3.79 per hour
• Apprentice rate - 拢2.73 per hour

The apprentice rate applies to apprentices aged 16 to 18 years old and those aged 19 and over who are in their first year. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage rate for their age.

2.The government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. The BIS scheme to name employers who break minimum wage law came into effect on 1 January 2011. The scheme is one of a range of tools at the government鈥檚 disposal to tackle this issue. Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to 拢20,000. In the most serious cases employers can be prosecuted.

3.From 1 October 2013 the government revised the naming scheme to make it simpler to name and shame employers who break the law. Under this scheme the government will name all employers that have been issued with a Notice of Underpayment (NoU) unless employers meet one of the exceptional criteria or have arrears of 拢100 or less. All 37 cases named today failed to pay the national minimum wage and have arrears of over 拢100.

4.Employers have 28 days to appeal to HMRC against the NoU (this notice sets out the owed wages to be paid by the employer together with the penalty for not complying with minimum wage law). If the employer does not appeal or unsuccessfully appeals against this NoU, BIS will consider them for naming. The employer then has 14 days to make representations to BIS outlining whether they meet any of the exceptional criteria:

• naming by BIS carries a risk of personal harm to an individual or their family
• there are national security risks associated with naming in this instance
• other factors which suggest that it would not be in the public interest to name the employer (employer to provide details)

If BIS do not receive any representations or the representations received are unsuccessful, the employer will be named via a BIS press release under this scheme.

5.Further information about the revised BIS NMW naming scheme can be found in Enforcing national minimum wage law.