Firms shamed over payments
Workers did not get minimum wage
Two local businesses are among 260 firms named and shamed for not paying employees the minimum wage.
One firm from Stirling and another from Dollar failed to pay six workers more than £9,000 between them.
Global Voices – a company offering translation and interpretation services, based in Scion House at Stirling University’s Innovation Park – blamed an “administrative error” for not paying four workers £8,026.
Luigi Koechlin, founder and chief executive of Global Voices, added: “There was a miscommunication regarding the status of an internship intake in 2015. As soon as we were made aware of this, we rectified the situation and adjusted our internal processes accordingly in 2016.
“We are a responsible employer with 49 highly qualified, well paid staff and hope we are seen as an important part of the business community, and a significant contributor to the economy.”
Hillfoot Homes – a house building firm, based in Dollar – failed to pay two workers £1,439.36. However, the housing development firm has blamed a “technicality” for the oversight.
Paul Edney, from Hillfoot Homes, said: “Everyone who works for Hillfoot Homes is paid in excess of the living wage, never mind the minimum wage.
“The incident in question relates to a married couple who were employed briefly as relief wardens at the Woods Caravan Park. After leaving, they successfully pursued a case that they should have been paid when off duty, just because they were holding the emergency phone. In short, we infringed on a technicality. We paid our dues and immediately amended our procedures accordingly. A learning curve.”
It was also revealed that discount fashion chain, Primark – who have a store in The Thistles Shopping Centre in Stirling – failed to pay 9,735 workers a total of £231,973.12.
A Primark spokesperson said: “Following a routine audit by HMRC, Primark confirms it has paid a number of its employees in instances where HMRC deemed these employees to have received less than the National Minimum Wage. The average amount paid per employee was £23.75 and relates to a workwear policy that was changed in 2016 and also to administration costs for court orders involving a small number of staff.
“The company is committed to the National Minimum Wage and has apologised to the employees concerned. It has also reviewed its procedures in order to avoid this situation re-occurring.”
Sports clothing retailer, Sports Direct, who also have a store within The Thistles Shopping Centre, failed to pay £167,036.24 to 383 workers.
A spokesperson for Sports Direct said: “This matter relates to the historical situation in our warehouse that was widely publicised in 2016, for which we apologised at the time. We co–operated fully with HMRC to make back payments to Sports Direct staff who were affected. We are committed to treating all our people with dignity and respect, and we pay above the National Minimum Wage.”
Stirling MP Stephen Kerr said employees being paid less than minimum wage was “unacceptable”.
Mr Kerr added: “The minimum wage is there for a very good reason and companies should be paying it so I will be delighted to see this company (Global Voices) and any others that are failing to do so to put that right immediately and pay their employees what they should be. To do otherwise is unacceptable.”