'Naming and shaming' businesses for failing to pay the national minimum wage

The latest list of 25 employers ‘named and shamed’ for failing to pay the NMW is much longer than the first one.  This shows the government is taking an increasingly tough approach to minimum wage enforcement.

“Plans were also announced in the Queen’s Speech last week to increase the maximum penalty for non-compliance to £20,000 per underpaid worker (as opposed to £20,000 in total).  The message to salons could not be clearer: not paying the minimum wage, even inadvertently, could be the most expensive mistake you’ll ever make.

“Salons must review and check their payment processes and making sure you’re paying at the right rate is an absolute priority. Even if you’ve outsourced your payroll, if your provider gets it wrong the responsibility is still yours.  That’s why NHBF has produced a step-by-step guide for its members to prepare them for NMW rate changes from 1 October.

“We are, of course, disappointed there are hairdressers on the ‘name and shame’ list.  By not paying the minimum wage salons not only damage their own businesses and livelihoods, they damage the reputation of our whole industry.