THE WHAT? The UK government has released a statement naming and shaming some 191 employers who have underpaid workers, including The Body Shop, John Lewis, numerous independent hair and beauty salons and media agency Grey London.

THE DETAILS Workers were underpaid in numerous ways, including not being paid for overtime, not receiving the correct apprenticeship rate and wrongful deductions from wages, including for uniform and expenses.

Employers who pay less than the minimum wage have to pay back arrears to the worker at the current minimum wage rates and also face hefty financial penalties of up to 200 percent of arrears.  

THE WHY? Business Minister Paul Scully explained, “Our minimum wage laws are there to ensure a fair day’s work gets a fair day’s pay – it is unacceptable for any company to come up short. All employers, including those on this list, need to pay workers properly. The government will continue to protect workers’ rights vigilantly, and employers that short change workers won’t get off lightly.”