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September 5, 2021, admin

HMRC Reveals Absurd Reasons for Non-Payment of the National Minimum Wage

HMRC Reveals Absurd Reasons for Non-Payment of the National Minimum Wage

While the vast majority of firms pay at least the National Minimum Wage, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published a list of the most ridiculous excuses for not paying the legal minimum.

HMRC assisted over 155,000 workers across the UK last year (2020 to 2021) in reclaiming over £16 million in unpaid wages and also levied over £14 million in fines.

Among the most ludicrous justifications for breaking the law were the following:

“She is not entitled to the National Minimum Wage because she is just responsible for making tea and sweeping the floors.”

“Because the employee was inefficient, I did not believe they deserved to be paid the National Minimum Wage.”

“My accountant and I communicate in a foreign language — he does not understand me, which is why he does not pay my employees properly.”

“Because my employee is still in school, they are ineligible for the National Minimum Wage.”

“It is customary in the United Kingdom not to pay young workers for the first three months, since they must establish their ‘value’ first.”

“My firm is exempt from the National Minimum Wage.”

“I have agreed with my employees that I would not pay them the National Minimum Wage; they understand and have even signed a contract to that effect.”

“I believed it was acceptable to pay young workers less than the National Minimum Wage because they are not British citizens and hence do not have the right to it.”

“My employees prefer to think of themselves as self-employed, and the National Minimum Wage does not apply to self-employed individuals.”

“My employees are frequently on standby when there are no clients in the shop; I compensate them only when they are serving a customer.”

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