Liverpool Optician Fined for Failing to Pay Minimum Wage to Staff
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
A Liverpool-based optician has been asked to pay a fine of £3,696 after he accepted the violation of the National Minimum Wage Act as well as his failure to pay the legally prescribed minimum salaries to four staff members.
Benjamin Gains runs two optical stores under the trade named BG Optical in
Gains, 28, had provided employees with annual contracts, which showed their wages close to the National Minimum Wage (NMW). A clause also said workers were entitled to paid meal breaks.
However, Gains resorted to unfair dealings when HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) contacted him for preliminary investigation. On the pretext of correcting a ’spelling-error’ he asked his staff to hand him their contracts. He now falsified information and deleted the section that made a reference to paid lunches.
During proceeding at the
He also said there was a nominal difference in the wage that was being paid to the workers and the sum they were legally entitled to.
Earlier this year, Gains had offered to pay his staff if HMRC brought an end to the legal proceedings against him. But following the court’s order Gains will have to pay back his employees within 28 days.
Gains has now become the first employers in the North West to have been successfully brought to book for the violation of the NMW Act.
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