The minimum wage scandal

[BankFodder]

Staff 'not getting minimum wage'

The minimum wage is £5.52 an hour for adults

Thousands of workers are being short-changed by firms who refuse to pay the national minimum wage, a survey for union organisation the TUC found. Around 150,000 staff are being denied rate of £5.52 an hour for adults and £4.60 for 18 to 21-year-olds, it says.
Those in restaurants, hotels, cleaning, hairdressing and childcare were said to be the most likely to be underpaid.
A TUC helpline for staff has been set up. Earlier this month, ministers said firms would face tougher penalties.
Companies will now risk unlimited fines, with the most serious cases of non-compliance tried in a Crown Court. The way arrears are calculated will also change, boosting the amount of back pay due to underpaid employees.
'Scrooge employer'
The TUC said the exploitation was "unacceptable", especially at Christmas when workers face greater financial pressures.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "There should be no hiding place for bosses who are deliberately cheating their workers out of the minimum wage.
"If you know somebody who is not being paid the minimum wage, now is the time to help them. If you know a Scrooge employer who is not paying workers a decent wage for a fair day's work, now is the time to report them."
The TUC said it had been contacted by a homeworker paid between £2 and £3 an hour, and a Polish man working in a pizza store for a similar wage.
Employers can be reported to the minimum wage helpline on 0845 6000 678.

BBC NEWS | UK | Staff 'not getting minimum wage'

[BankFodder]

But please do not identify the employer concerned until the matter has been formally established by the appropriate authorities.

Until that moment, please use a false identifier. This is because it would be unfair to an employer if the matter has not yet been proved, we might find ourselves having to deal with allegations of defamation - and of course it is much better that an employer who is not paying the minimum wage is not alerted that he is being reported.

[BankFodder]

Although minimum wage problems are more suited to being in the employment forum, it seems to be a good idea to make the subject a bit more prominent on this site.

Hence it now has it's own top level forum. We'll see how this forum develops.

[Conniff]

And it will continue until the workers take the bull by the horns and report their employer.
I'm sure a report could remain confidential until an investigation has been initiated.