Dunstable-based Premier Inn owner named by Government for failing to pay workers minimum wage

A corporation based in Dunstable which owns Premier Inn has been named by the Government today (June 21) for filling to pay one of its lowest-paid workers minimum wage.

In information release by the Department for Business and Trade, Whitbread Group PLC id not pay to pay one of its workers £1,118.37 they were owed.

A spokesperson for Whitbread Group PLC said: “Our inclusion on the list from BEIS stems from an isolated single issue relating to one employee that took place in 2018.

“This was due to an administrative error at one hotel which resulted in overtime not being properly captured and therefore the extra hours unfortunately went unpaid – a position that was gladly resolved at the time.”

They insisted that this was a one-off incident which was ‘rectified very quickly'.

The company were among 202 employers were found to have failed to pay their workers almost £5 million in a clear breach of National Minimum Wage law, leaving around 63,000 workers out of pocket.

Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said: “We’re sending a clear message to the minority who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you’ll face the consequences.”

While Bryan Sanderson, chair of the Low Pay Commission, added: “Regular naming rounds should be a useful tool in raising awareness of underpayment and helping to protect minimum wage workers.”

This news comes ahead of Citizens UK, Unite and ShareAction joint visit to the Houghton Hall Business Park headquarters tomorrow (June 22) to ask Whitbread to pay workers a real living wage.