According to the government, House of Fraser and Waterstones were among over 200 employers that broke minimum wage laws while paying employees.
Firms failed to pay around £1.2million to their employees, breaking national minimum wage laws – and leaving about 12,000 workers out of pocket.
One of the most frequent problems among these companies was their tendency to deduct money from wages in order to cover expenses like work uniforms. This was the case for 37% of businesses.
House of Fraser and Waterstones, (pictured in Cambridge; file photo), as well as Schuh, the footwear retailer, were among over 200 employers that broke minimum wage laws while paying employees, according to Government.
29% did not cover mandatory training, travel time or trial shifts. 16% did not provide enough support for apprentices. And 11% did not raise the wages of staff after the increase in minimum wage.
‘We want workers to know that we’re on their side and they must be treated fairly by their employers, which is why paying the legal minimum wage should be non-negotiable for businesses,’ said minister for labour markets Paul Scully.
‘Today’s 208 businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working employees, regardless of whether it was intentional or not.
House of Fraser (pictured in central London) failed to pay more than £16,000 to 354 workers
Schuh (branch pictured, file photo) did not pay £807 to 39 staff. It was a common problem for the companies named that they took money out of their wages to pay expenses, such as uniforms. This was a problem for 37% of businesses.
‘With Christmas fast approaching, it’s more important than ever that cash is not withheld from the pockets of workers. ‘So don’t be a Scrooge – pay your staff properly.’
House of Fraser failed to pay more than £16,000 to 354 workers, Schuh did not pay £807 to 39 staff and Waterstones failed to pay nearly £8,700 to 58 staff.
The current House of Fraser owner, Frasers Group, said: ‘These breaches are historic and relate to the activities of the old House of Fraser company that is now in administration.’
Waterstones & Schuh have not responded to comments last night.