The Craven Heifer in Darwen underpaid one worker by £1,419.99 and joined 75 other employers on the list published by the government. Offenders came from a range of industries including hairdressing, fitness and hospitality, and collectively owed workers a staggering £153,000.
Business minister Nick Boles said: “As a one nation government on the side of the working people we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the national minimum wage receives it. When the new national living wage is introduced next April we will enforce this robustly. This means that hard-working people of the UK will get the pay rise they deserve.”
The government has published a list of businesses who fail to pay the minimum wage online as part of an attempt to crack down on non-payment.
From April next year, all businesses will have to pay a minimum of £7.20 per hour to people aged over 25, rising to £9 by 2020. The policy has drawn a mixed reaction from the trade with Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin warning it adds ‘considerable uncertainty’ to the industry.