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NDTV
7 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
UK Entrepreneur's Emotional Farewell To India After 12 Years: "Love India Truly, Madly And Deeply"
Jasper Reid, Founder and CEO of International Market Management (IMM), announced his departure from India after 12 years, sharing a heartfelt post on LinkedIn. Mr Reid, who introduced brands like Wendy's, PizzaExpress, and Jamie's to India, reflected on the country's impact on his life and the lessons he's learned. "Tomorrow, after twelve years in India, we move to England. The time seems short. India is so vast and varied. What is twelve years? More than the three years we planned, and just about enough to know how India works. What did we learn? Above all, we learnt patience, resilience, hard work and hospitality. These values have declined in many countries but are alive and well in India," he wrote on LinkedIn along with a photo of his family. See the post here: Mr Reid and his family initially planned a temporary stay in India, but went on to stay for 12 years. They introduced PizzaExpress to the Indian market and built Wendy's and Jamie's restaurants across 15 cities and 75 locations, generating thousands of jobs and boosting the food and hospitality sector. With ties to India spanning four generations, Mr Reid's family played a significant role in shaping the country's culinary landscape. Beyond business, Reid's team also made a positive impact during the COVID-19 lockdown, feeding and transporting thousands of migrant workers. The businessman reflected on the complexities of working in India, describing it as "two countries in one" - a blend of mature markets and developing areas. "The scale, press and life of India - as densely populated as Israel or the UK - creates a special environment. At any time, India is rich in humanity, excitement and challenge, but also intensely demanding, hard and wearing. There's no country like it, and if GDP were measured in soul, India wins. We love India truly, madly and deeply. Our girls are the fourth generation of our family to live and work in India since 1950. My Grandfather built Dum Dum Airport in Calcutta, my Father ran national operations for HelpAge India, and Megan's uncle founded Taktse School in Sikkim. I would like to think we kept the family reputation intact," he added. Mr Reid views his move to the UK not as a departure from India, but rather a shift within a larger circle. He also added that his girls graduated from their New Delhi high school and are heading to university in their fatherland. "We could not have got more out of India nor put more in. I learnt more from twelve years in India than my whole career and life put together. I can now think like an Indian and understand the rhythms of working practice and behaviour. I am glossing over how hard this was to acquire. And so to England. Our girls graduated from their New Delhi high school and are heading to university in our fatherland. But our motherland is India. Now we have two parental homes and are not leaving India but moving to the other side of a great, glorious, magic circle," he concluded the post. The poignant post has gone viral, resonating with many users. Many admired his willingness to acknowledge and embrace India's complexities. One user wrote, "Extremely glad that you had a very pleasant and satisfactory tenure in India, which is now your homeland too. Wishing you all the best in your further Indian pursuits." Another commented, "Thank you for this beautifully written piece. It indeed touches the heart. Truly grateful for your and your family's contribution to India and its people. India will miss you, and we look forward to seeing you back. Best wishes to the girls as they embark on their journey towards higher education. People like you are the true bridge between two countries and their people."
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Is your employer on this list of Welsh companies that failed to pay minimum wage?
Is your employer on this list of Welsh companies that failed to pay minimum wage? 518 UK employers have been named and shamed for leaving staff members out of pocket Nearly 60,000 UK workers have been underpaid (Image: PA ) More than 20 Welsh companies have been included on a list of more than 500 UK employers which have failed to pay some of their staff minimum living wage. The Government published the list, which included big names such as Pizza Express, Lidl, British Airways, Prezzo, Halfords and TUI, this afternoon The Department for Business and Trade discovered almost 60,000 workers were left out of pocket by companies which had underpaid staff for several years, racking up a huge £7.4m. All the businesses named have since paid their staff back and faced financial penalties of up to 200% of their underpayment. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here . On the top of the list is one of the government's largest suppliers, Capita, which owed £1.15m to 5,543 workers. Alongside it, dining out giant Pizza Express was outed for failing to pay £760,702 to 8,470 workers. Full list of Welsh companies on the list Shuko Monmouthshire Buck House Hotel Wrexham A.P.C. Panels Ltd Vale of Glamorgan Lakeside Day Nursery Limited Swansea Maner Hotel P.B Services Limited Rhondda Cynon Taf Sage Hair Care Filco Supermarkets Limited Vale of Glamorgan AFH Ltd Cardiff S&S Care Limited Flintshire Andrew Milward Joinery Pembrokeshire M&C Jones Building Contractors Limited Denbighshire MRB Cleaning Limited Swansea Mini Me Private Day Nursery Limited Newport The Wild Pheasant Denbighshire Barry Tyre Centre Limited Vale of Glamorgan Holton Road Stores Vale of Glamorgan Soughton Shoot Limited Flintshire Playworks Childcare Limited Caerphilly Classic Decorators (UK) Limited Vale of Glamorgan Article continues below The Government has encouraged anyone who thinks they may be being underpaid, to check on their website. Minister for Employment Rights, Justin Madders, warned: "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."
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Pizza Express and British Airways among firms named for minimum wage failings
Pizza Express, British Airways, and outsourcing firm Capita are among leading businesses named by the government for failing to pay some of their staff the minimum wage. After investigations by HM Revenue and Customs, more than 60,000 low-paid workers have received back pay worth £7.4m after 518 employers failed to meet the legal minimum wage level. German-owned supermarket chain Lidl and Halfords were also on a 'name and shame' list of culprits issued by the Department for Business and Trade. The investigations were conducted between 2015 and 2022, but have only recently been completed and all back-payments agreed, allowing for publication of the full list, a spokesperson for the business department said. Capita, one of the government's biggest contractors, was the worst offender after it failed to pay £1.5m to 5,543 workers. A spokesperson for Capita said 'inadvertent underpayments' were to blame between 2015 and 2021, due to issues including adding 25 minutes a week for call centre staff to log in for their shifts. 'All owed monies were paid immediately, and we are sorry for any impact this had on colleagues and former colleagues at that time,' the company added. 'Our processes and systems were updated to ensure there would be no further issues; we have continued to monitor them carefully, as well as any changes to employment regulations.' Pizza Express failed to pay £760,702 to 8,470 workers – amounting to about £90 on average. A spokesperson for Pizza Express said: 'Once we were made aware of this historic unintentional technicality, which occurred between 2012 and 2018, we swiftly identified who was impacted, apologised and rectified. 'There's nothing more important to us than fairly and accurately paying our team members.' British Airways was named for failing to pay £231,276 to 2,165 workers. The company said an audit in 2017 revealed 'we had accidentally, slightly underpaid some of our cabin crew who joined us between 2014 and 2017 during their first two months of employment. 'We apologised and issued backdated payments several years ago.' A spokesperson for Halfords said: 'The rates that we pay our colleagues are competitive and are at or above the minimum wage. However, in 2021 we found some historical work-related costs that should have been met by us as the employer rather than our colleagues. We moved quickly to identify those impacted in order to make the necessary payments. 'All of the costs involved are now met by the company,' they added. Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said ministers needed to vigorously investigate breaches of minimum wage rules. He said: 'Wage theft is bad for workers, families, and the economy. Every pound stolen from a worker's pocket is a pound not spent in local shops, cafes and high streets.' The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over rose in April from £11.44 an hour to £12.21 an hour.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Pizza Express, Lidl and Halfords named by Government for minimum wage failures
A number of well-known British businesses, including Pizza Express, Lidl, British Airways, and Capita, have been identified by the government for failing to pay some employees the minimum wage. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has released a list of 518 employers that underpaid nearly 60,000 workers over several years. The underpayment meant that pay for some staff fell short of the national minimum wage, or the national living wage, which is what the government calls the minimum wage for those aged over 21. Capita, a major government supplier, topped the list, owing £1.15 million to 5,543 workers. This equates to individual employees being underpaid by about £208 on average. A spokesman for Capita said it was 'inadvertent underpayments' between 2015 and 2021, due to some issues including adding 25 minutes per week for call centre staff to log in for their shifts. 'All owed monies were paid immediately, and we are sorry for any impact this had on colleagues and former colleagues at that time,' the company added. 'Our processes and systems were updated to ensure there would be no further issues; we have continued to monitor them carefully, as well as any changes to employment regulations.' Pizza Express failed to pay £760,702 to 8,470 workers – amounting to about £90 on average. A spokeswoman for Pizza Express said: 'Once we were made aware of this historic unintentional technicality, which occurred between 2012 and 2018, we swiftly identified who was impacted, apologised and rectified. 'There's nothing more important to us than fairly and accurately paying our team members.' Lidl was also high on the list, having owed £286,437 to 3,423 employees. And British Airways was named for failing to pay £231,276 to 2,165 workers. A spokesman for BA said: 'Back in 2017, an audit revealed we had accidentally slightly underpaid some of our cabin crew who joined us between 2014 and 2017 during their first two months of employment. 'We apologised and issued backdated payments several years ago.' Meanwhile, smaller groups of employees were underpaid larger sums by some British companies – such as hotel chain Hilton UK which underpaid 20 members of staff an average of £946 each. Restaurant chain Prezzo, motoring and cycling retailer Halfords, and travel group Tui were also found to have been underpaying some workers over several years. All the workers left short will be repaid a combined £7.4 million, following investigations by HMRC between 2015 and 2022. The national living wage was £11.44 in the year to the end of March, and has risen to £12.21 since April. The minimum wage for 18-20-year-olds rose to £10 this year, and for those aged under 18 it rose to £7.55. Justin Madders, the minister for employment rights, 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.' The Government said that not all minimum wage underpayments are intentional, but those who do not pay staff correctly will be penalised. The businesses named on Thursday faced financial penalties of up to 200% of the total amount they underpaid. Lidl has been contacted for comment.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Capita, Pizza Express and Lidl named by Government for minimum wage failures
Pizza Express, Lidl, British Airways, and outsourcing firm Capita are among the British businesses named by the Government for failing to pay some of their staff the minimum wage. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) released a list of 518 employers and businesses that underpaid workers over several years. It means pay for some staff fell short of the national minimum wage, or the national living wage, which is what the Government calls the minimum wage for those aged over 21. In total, nearly 60,000 people had been left out of pocket, the DBT said. Capita, one of the Government's biggest suppliers with major public sector contacts, was top of the list, owing £1.15 million to 5,543 workers. This meant individual employees were underpaid about £208 on average. A spokesman for Capita said it was 'inadvertent underpayments' between 2015 and 2021, due to some issues including adding 25 minutes per week for call centre staff to log in for their shifts. 'All owed monies were paid immediately, and we are sorry for any impact this had on colleagues and former colleagues at that time,' the company added. 'Our processes and systems were updated to ensure there would be no further issues; we have continued to monitor them carefully, as well as any changes to employment regulations.' Pizza Express failed to pay £760,702 to 8,470 workers – amounting to about £90 on average. A spokeswoman for Pizza Express said: 'Once we were made aware of this historic unintentional technicality, which occurred between 2012 and 2018, we swiftly identified who was impacted, apologised and rectified. 'There's nothing more important to us than fairly and accurately paying our team members.' Lidl was also high on the list, having owed £286,437 to 3,423 employees. And British Airways was named for failing to pay £231,276 to 2,165 workers. Meanwhile, smaller groups of employees were underpaid larger sums by some British companies – such as hotel chain Hilton UK which underpaid 20 members of staff an average of £946 each. Restaurant chain Prezzo, motoring and cycling retailer Halfords, and travel group Tui were also found to have been underpaying some workers over several years. All the workers left short will be repaid a combined £7.4 million, following investigations by HMRC between 2015 and 2022. The national living wage was £11.44 in the year to the end of March, and has risen to £12.21 since April. The minimum wage for 18-20-year-olds rose to £10 this year, and for those aged under 18 it rose to £7.55. Justin Madders, the minister for employment rights, 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.' The Government said that not all minimum wage underpayments are intentional, but those who do not pay staff correctly will be penalised. The businesses named on Thursday faced financial penalties of up to 200% of the total amount they underpaid.
