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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Workers to receive millions after being underpaid by employers
Workers to receive millions after being underpaid by employers HM Revenue and Customs has forced employers to repay a total of £7.4million to 59,000 members of staff after investigations found they had been underpaid Nearly 60,000 UK workers have been underpaid (Image: Getty Images ) Thousands of workers who have been short-changed are set to receive a collective repayment of over £7.4 million. This is the outcome of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigations that ran from 2015 to 2022 and identified 518 employers and businesses as having underpaid close to 60,000 staff members. It includes more than 20 Welsh companies. These employers have since settled their debts with employees and have also been slapped with financial penalties that could reach up to 200% of the owed amount. This restitution arrives in the wake of the minimum wage increasing by 6.7% this April. The hike has seen the hourly minimum wage for those aged 21 and above rise from £11.44 to £12.21, while those between 18 to 20 years old saw an increase from £8.60 to £10, and under-18s and apprentices from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here . The boost comes alongside a major upgrade to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage, which has effectively put an extra £1,400 in the pockets of full-time workers on the National Living Wage and provided substantial support to millions of families throughout the nation. Alongside this, there has been the introduction of the most consequential enhancements to workers' rights in decades through the Employment Rights Bill. Commenting on the issue, Minister for Employment Rights Justin Madders stated: "There is no excuse for employers to undercut their workers, and we will continue to name companies who break the law and don't pay their employees what they are owed.", reports the Mirror. Article continues below He further emphasised government commitments, saying that "Ensuring workers have the support they need and making sure they receive a fair day's pay for a fair day's work is a key commitment in our Plan for Change. This will put more money in working people's pockets, helping to boost productivity and ending low pay." Baroness Philippa Stroud, Chair of the Low Pay Commission, remarked: "We welcome today's publication. Underpayment leaves workers out of pocket and disadvantages the majority of employers who do abide by the rules. "These naming rounds play an important part in ensuring that all workers receive their full wages and that they are aware there is support for them to ensure that they do." What to do if you've been underpaid To determine if you've been underpaid, scrutinise your payslips against the current minimum wage rates. If your wages appear short, firstly approach your employer to seek a resolution. Failing that, lodge a complaint with HMRC via who will examine your case and ensure any owed pay is reimbursed. Should an employer default on payment, HMRC can issue an arrears notice plus a penalty for not observing the minimum wage requirements. In extreme cases where an employer continues non-compliance, HMRC can initiate court proceedings on the worker's behalf. Additionally, employees can report underpayment by contacting the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) via their pay and work rights helpline at 0300 123 1100. Article continues below
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Thousands of workers get £7.4million after being underpaid by bosses
The employers and businesses named today have since paid back what they owe to their staff and faced financial penalties of up to 200% of their underpayment Thousands of workers who have been left out of pocket will be repaid over £7.4million. It comes following investigations by HMRC, which concluded between 2015 and 2022, found 518 employers and business had underpaid nearly 60,000 members of staff. The employers and businesses have since paid back what they owe to their staff and faced financial penalties of up to 200% of their underpayment. It comes after minimum wage rose by 6.7% in April this year. The minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over has risen from £11.44 an hour to £12.21 an hour, from £8.60 an hour to £10 an hour for those aged 18 to 20, and from £6.40 an hour to £7.55 an hour for under-18s and apprentices. Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money This follows a significant uplift to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage - putting £1,400 into the pockets of full-time workers on NLW and supporting millions of families across the country - as well as the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation under the Employment Rights Bill. Minister for Employment Rights, Justin Madders said: 'There is no excuse for employers to undercut their workers, and we will continue to name companies who break the law and don't pay their employees what they are owed. 'Ensuring workers have the support they need and making sure they receive a fair day's pay for a fair day's work is a key commitment in our Plan for Change. This will put more money in working people's pockets, helping to boost productivity and ending low pay.' Baroness Philippa Stroud, Chair of the Low Pay Commission, said: 'We welcome today's publication. Underpayment leaves workers out of pocket and disadvantages the majority of employers who do abide by the rules. 'These naming rounds play an important part in ensuring that all workers receive their full wages and that they are aware there is support for them to ensure that they do.' What to do if you've been underpaid To see if you've been underpaid, you should start by going through your payslips and checking them against the minimum rates. If you think you haven't been paid enough, you should first talk to your employer to give them the chance to rectify the situation. If this doesn't solve the problem, you can complain to HMRC through They'll then investigate your complaint and if you have been underpaid, you'll get the money back that you're due. If HMRC find that the employer has not paid, they will send them a notice for the arrears plus a fine for not paying the minimum wage. HMRC can take them to court on behalf of the worker if the employer still refuses to pay. Another way to complain about being underpaid is via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) pay and work rights helpline on 0300 123 1100.
The Guardian
22-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Exploited' migrant farm workers in UK paid for picks, not hours
When 26-year-old Ben* boarded a flight in Uzbekistan in June, he was looking forward to more than just a summer job picking fruit and vegetables on a British farm. 'I wanted to see new places, cities I've never seen before,' he said. 'I wanted to make friends, exchange ideas and make new memories.' But Ben found the owners of the Scottish farm he worked on demanding and unresponsive to worker concerns. When the time came for him to receive his pay, Ben says he was not paid for all the work he carried out. 'I was surprised because the employer just pays you what they want, even if that is [different from] your contract,' he said. 'They come up with various excuses.' Ben is one of dozens of migrant workers who say they have not been paid after their employer linked their wages to the amount of crops they picked rather than the hours they worked. About 45,000 workers came from overseas to work temporarily in UK agriculture last year on the seasonal worker visa, a scheme introduced in 2019 to address Brexit-related labour shortages. The Worker Support Centre (WSC), a Scotland-based NGO which supports seasonal workers across the UK, said that of the 99 workers who contacted them with pay issues last year, more than half reported non-payment due to the measurement of product picked, resulting in large chunks of time – such as that spent moving between workstations or in team meetings – being unaccounted for and unpaid. The WSC, along with the TUC, Anti-Slavery International and others, has now written to the Low Pay Commission asking for them to call for an HMRC investigation into the issue. Philippa Stroud, chair of the Low Pay Commission, said she was concerned by the WSC's evidence. 'You work in the fields during harvest season, and it's no secret that not all fields are located around the farm,' Ben told the Observer. 'Some fields [take] hours to reach – but the employer doesn't pay for that time.' While all seasonal workers must be paid at least the national living wage in England, or the agricultural minimum wage in Scotland, the WSC said the use of targets – and the dense and complicated payslips that are consequently produced – made it difficult for workers to decipher hourly pay. Many believed when they accepted the job that they would be paid an hourly rate and were only informed of picking targets when they arrived, they said. Some who kept detailed logs of hours worked found that the amount on their payslips did not correspond to their time working. The WSC analysed 38 payslips from 18 workers on 11 farms across Scotland and England. Only two included payments for in-work travel, and only one for breaks. The majority – 34 – did not include any payment for team meetings or time spent receiving instructions and equipment at the start of each day. Payslips seen by the Observer show long and complex lists of products itemised by type and weight, with payment apparently calculated based on the quantity picked of each. 'From our analysis, it does not look like these workers were paid for the whole time they spent at work,' Valeria Ragni, WSC operations manager, said. Ragni said that in some cases even the employers told the WSC they were struggling to understand the payslips. 'Some payslips are so confusing they make it impossible for workers to enforce their rights. We need payslips to clearly document the hours and times worked, and to indicate employers' methods for calculating them, so workers can accurately assess whether they're being paid for the work they have done.' Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion The scale of the issue is likely to be far greater, Ragni said, because seasonal workers are often afraid to raise concerns due to their insecure status. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 'Everyone should be paid fairly for the job they do. It's time to crack down on bad bosses exploiting and underpaying seasonal migrant workers below the legal national minimum-wage level.' Stroud said she wanted to understand more about seasonal workers' experiences. 'A variety of evidence suggests migrant workers are more vulnerable to underpayment and less likely to report when it happens,' she said. A government spokesperson said it would work closely with scheme operators 'who have responsibility for ensuring the welfare of migrant workers'. They added: 'We will always take decisive action where we believe abusive practices are taking place.' *Name has been changed
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ARC Forum Begins Tomorrow with Remarks from Speaker Johnson, Secretary Wright, Peter Thiel, Baroness Stroud, and Jordan Peterson
Global delegates and leaders gather to discuss founding principles of Western civilization and evidence-based solutions for human flourishing. LONDON, Feb. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship's (ARC) second global Forum begins on Monday, February 17, and runs through Wednesday, February 19 at London ExCel. Presenters at this year's conference include leading governmental, cultural, academic, and business figures, such as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, ARC Founder Baroness Philippa Stroud, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, psychologist Jordan Peterson, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, former Australian Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, journalists Bari Weiss and Michael Shellenberger, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, investor Sir Paul Marshall, sociologist Arthur Brooks, and historian Niall Ferguson. A limited number of livestream links will be made available to the press by request. This year's Forum will center on five key themes: Our Philosophical and Cultural Stories – Exploring foundational principles like human dignity, freedom, and truth as the basis for a better vision of society. Responsible Citizenship, the Social Fabric, and the Family – Examining how family, community, and national identity contribute to a strong and stable society. Free Enterprise and Good Governance – Discussing how business, markets, and governance foster innovation, creativity, and material prosperity. Energy, Economics, and the Environment – Balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility while ensuring accessible and affordable energy. Identity in a Digital Age – Addressing the impact of technology, AI, and digital identities on human identity and free expression. Baroness Philippa Stroud, co-founder and CEO of ARC, emphasized the significance of this year's gathering. "Leaders are navigating significant political change and confronting immense social and economic challenges. This conference marks a major milestone in our efforts to address these challenges with evidence-based solutions that facilitate human flourishing," she said. "The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship is gathering at a critical time," added Speaker Mike Johnson. "As the foundational principles that have defined the West and generated unprecedented liberty and prosperity have been under challenge, we must commit ourselves again to their defense." About ARC: The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship is a global network of leaders dedicated to generating practical solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. Learn more at For media inquiries, please contact press@ View original content: SOURCE Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Sign in to access your portfolio
