Popular nursery chain 'committed to fair pay' after being named in list of companies that illegally underpaid workers
Staffordshire-headquartered Busy Bees Nurseries has apologised after failing to pay thousands of staff the National Minimum Wage.
The Burntwood-based national nursery business failed to pay £485,374.05 to 9,056 workers, according to data published by the Department for Business and Trade.
The company was among 42 employers in the West Midlands that were found to have paid workers less than the minimum wage.
Busy Bees has stressed the matter was rectified as soon as it became aware back in 2022 and said the company apologised to affected staff at the time.
A spokesman for the nursery chain said: “Busy Bees is fully committed to making sure all our colleagues receive fair pay that is fully compliant with regulatory guidance. As soon as we became aware of these inadvertent errors in 2022, we immediately worked with HMRC to fully resolve the matter with the colleagues affected. We apologised to all those affected at the time and have since continued to strengthen our processes and support for colleagues in this area."
A raft of other companies and organisations across the region have also been named as having illegally underpaid workers, with Walsall Council among them.
The Government said 42 employers in the region have been hit with nearly £1.6 million in penalties for failing to pay the minimum wage and collectively employers have been told to pay around £910,000 in wages owed to workers after around 11,000 employees were found to have been underpaid.
Nationally 389 employers across the UK have been hit with a total of £12.6 million in fines, on top of the repaid wages.
Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “Workers in Birmingham and Wolverhampton shouldn’t have to chase their boss to be paid properly.
“That’s why we’re cracking down on employers who underpay. We’re making sure workers get the hard-earned pay they deserve.
“I encourage every employer to check their payroll to ensure they don’t get caught out.”
The list of companies has been issued after Chancellor Rachel Reeves committed in the Budget to publish more frequently, incentivising employers to keep their payroll up to date and boosting workers’ confidence that when they’re treated poorly by their boss - swift justice will follow.
It is also the final naming round before a new enforcement body, the Fair Work Agency, comes into force on April 7, bringing workers’ rights enforcement under one roof for the first time - to offer a single, streamlined place where employers can get guidance on how to follow the rules. The agency will have more muscle to ensure workers get the money they are owed.
The list's release also comes ahead of further increases to the minimum wage, which will see the lowest-earning full time workers over 21 receive an annual pay boost of £900.
