At least one apprentice employer was among the first batch to be “named and shamed” as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) gets tough on national minimum wage offenders.
Peter Oakes, of Peter Oakes Ltd, Macclesfield; Lisa Maria Cathcart, of Salon Sienna, Manchester; Mohammed Yamin, of Minto Guest House, Edinburgh; Anne Henderson, of Chambers Hairdressers, Middlesbrough; and Ruzi Ruzyyev, a car wash operator in Carmarthen, South Wales, were all said to have underpaid.
A BIS spokesperson said Mr Oakes neglected to pay £3619.70 to two workers, Ms Cathcart neglected to pay £1760.48 to one worker, Mr Yamin neglected to pay £808.56 to one employee and Ms Henderson and Mr Ruzyyev neglected to pay £452.22 and £225.38, respectively, to one worker each.
However, it was not disclosed which had offended over apprentice pay, which is legally at least £2.68 an-hour.
The BIS spokesperson said: “We do not disclose information on the identity or status of the workers.”
She added that the five cases had been “thoroughly investigated by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs”.
It comes just weeks after the Low Pay Commission recommended that the apprentice minimum wage should go up 5p from October. A BIS spokesperson said the recommendation would be considered.
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