See which Wigan nursery and borough bakery are among firms which have underpaid their staff by thousands of pounds
Four Wigan borough employers have been named and shamed by the Government for failing to pay their staff the national minimum wage.
The Government is cracking down on firms which underpay their workers and has released a list of 491 employers that did not pay the minimum wage.
Among them are 80 employers in the North West, with around 19,000 workers being repaid by their employers and their firms receiving fines totalling more than £2.7 million for breaking the rules.
Wigan home care company Cherish UK Limited failed to pay £3,400.83 to nine workers; Brooklands Childcare Ltd, which has sites in Hindley and Bryn, did not pay £2,463.84 to 49 workers; bakery Waterfields (Leigh) Limited failed to pay £15,897.89 to 31 workers; and Wigan hair stylist Laura Leanne Malee underpaid two workers by £1,390.68.
National firms with branches in Wigan also broke the rules, including Go Outdoors Retail Limited, which failed to pay £240,105.62 to 2,058 workers, and Holland & Barrett failed to pay £153,079 to 2,551 employees.
Employment rights minister Kate Dearden said: “This Government is taking direct action to ensure workers get every penny they’ve earned and to put an end to bad businesses undercutting good ones.
“We are proud to have delivered a strong minimum wage and enforcing it thoroughly is crucial in our mission to put pounds back in your pocket.
“I know this news will be welcomed by brilliant businesses across the country, those who know that happy well-paid staff are at the heart of building a successful company.
“With our new Fair Work Agency and the coming Employment Rights Bill, this Government is keeping our promise to Britain to make work pay again.”
There were significant increases to national minimum wage rates earlier this year, with millions getting a pay rise from April.
It is now £7.55 per hour for apprentices and under 18s, £10 for people aged 18 to 20 and £12.21 for those aged 21 and over.
Workers who suspect they are being underpaid can visit gov.uk/checkyourpay to find out more about what they can do.
They can also call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or visit its website for free, impartial and confidential advice, or complain to HMRC at www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights.