An upmarket Mayfair restaurant and string of department stores were among the London businesses ‘named and shamed’ by the Government on Wednesday for failing to pay the minimum wage.
More than 200 businesses, which include some of the UK’s best known retailers including WH Smith, Marks & Spencer and Argos were made to pay back what they owed and were fined around £7 million.
Thirty London-based businesses were named on the government list of employers who broke national minimum wage law between 2017 and 2019.
Several are national chains based in London, including M&S, which was named as failing to pay £578,390 to 5,363 workers. A spokesperson for the retail giant said this was due to a “unintentional technical issue” relating to temporary workers.
Executive Sport Limited, a sports development company based in Wimbledon, was named as having owed £20,200.34 to eight employees.
Park View Health Clubs Ltd, which runs three leisure centres in Barnet, owed £12,191.87 to four employees, while Morleys Stores, which runs eight department stores in London, owed £11,640.77 to 78 workers, the Government data states.
Roka Mayfair, an upmarket sushi restaurant near Oxford Street which offers £105 per person tasting menus, failed to pay £5,741.87 to 16 workers, the Government said.
Others included on the list were several hairdressers and nail bars, such as Baccarat Hair Design in Bromley, which failed to pay £10,178.71 to 9 workers.
The Standard has contacted the London-based businesses named above for comment.
The data covers investigations by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs dating back as far as 2017. Officials said not all minimum wage underpayments were intentional.
Kevin Hollinrake, minister for enterprise, markets and small business, said: “Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working staff.
“Most businesses do the right thing and look after their employees, but we’re sending a clear message to the minority who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you’ll face the consequences."
Bryan Sanderson, chairman of the Low Pay Commission, said naming businesses who breached minimum wage law was a useful tool “to protect minimum wage workers."
The London-based businesses named in Government’s list
- Marks and Spencer P.L.C., based in Westminster, failed to pay £578,390.79 to 5,363 workers.
- Clothes retailer Chanel Limited, based in Croydon, failed to pay £70,413.59 to 250 workers.
- Footwear retailer Dune Group Limited, based in Westminster, failed to pay £21,088.48 to 339 workers.
- Executive Sport Limited, of Wimbledon, failed to pay £20,200.34 to eight workers
- Wimbledon Service Centre failed to pay £18,377.98 to 7 workers (since liquidated)
- Park View Health Clubs Limited, based in Barnet, failed to pay £12,191.87 to 4 workers.
- Morleys Stores Limited based in Lambeth failed to pay £11,640.77 to 78 workers.
- Paul Wright trading as Baccarat Hair Design hairdressers in Bromley failed to pay £10,178.71 to 9 workers
- Elvis Car Wash Ltd in Lewisham failed to pay £5,768.98 to 3 workers (since dissolved).
- Roka Mayfair in Westminster failed to pay £5,741.87 to 16 workers
- Virgin Active, based in the City of London, failed to pay £5,074.96 to 80 workers
- Casual Dining Restaurants Group Limited based in Camden failed to pay £4,647.70 to 20 workers (since dissolved)
- Velocity Interactive Limited of the City of London failed to pay £3,868.40 to 2 workers
- Ms Dimitroulla Antoniou of Montage Hairdressers in Camden, failed to pay £3,579.72 to two workers
- Landlet Limited, trading as Belgrave House Hotel and Comfort Hotel in Luton but based in Westminster failed to pay £3,224.06 to 9 workers (In administration)
- Crofton Park Cars Ltd in Lewisham failed to pay £2,549.48 to 1 worker
- Mer Manor Operations Limited, based in Westminster, failed to pay £2,332.78to 98 workers
- Retailer Arcadia Group Limited, based in Westminster, failed to pay £2,233.19to 109 people
- Mr Vinodrai Pranjivanbhai Tanna, of Tanna Pharmacy in Harrow, failed to pay £1,815.53 to one worker.
- Orpington Day Nursery in Bromley, failed to pay £1,776.75 to four workers
- M R Academy Limited trading as Sugarcoat Nails in Newham failed to pay £1,391.42 to three workers (since dissolved).
- Vue Cinemas, headquartered in Hounslow, failed to pay £1,029.13 to 8 workers
- Nail Retreat London Limited in Brent failed to pay £1,015.23 to 2 workers (since dissolved)
- BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited, based in the City of London, failed to pay £933.12 to 3 workers
- Elmhurst Private School in Croydon failed to pay £829.32 to one worker
- Wholesale fish seller Amira G Foods Limited, based in Westminster, failed to pay £796.43 to 1 worker
- The Network (Field Marketing & Promotions) Company Limited, a market research company in east London failed to pay £661.37 to 14 workers
- Moses Basket Ltd, trading as Happi Feet nursery in Bexley, failed to pay £610.65 to 10 workers
- The Green Courier Limited in Ealing failed to pay £576.08 to one worker
- Global Education Management Systems Limited in Westminster failed to pay £530.42 to one worker
