Buzz Group failed to fully pay minimum-wage staff over six-year period
Bingo operator named by Department for Business and Trade for six-figure blackhole in payment to lowest-paid employees
Buzz Group failed to pay £319,297.21 to national minimum-wage workers between 2013 and 2019.
The bingo operator was named as one of 202 employers that had failed to pay their lowest-paid staff the minimum wage.
Following an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), it was established that Buzz Group neglected to pay 3,448 of its lowest-paid staff correctly.
Buzz Group and the other companies named, including M&S, Argos and WH Smith, have since paid back what they owe to their staff, while some have also faced financial penalties.
In a statement, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said the naming and shaming of companies was a “clear message” from government.
The DBT added: “Whilst not all minimum wage underpayments are intentional, there is no excuse for underpaying workers.
“The government has been clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it, and that robust enforcement action will be taken against employers who do not pay their staff correctly.”
Kevin Hollinrake MP said: “Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short change hard-working staff.
“Most businesses do the right thing and look after their employees, but we’re sending a clear message to the minority who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you’ll face the consequences.”
Bryan Sanderson, Low Pay Commission chair, remarked: “The minimum wage acts as a guarantee to ensure all workers without exception receive a decent minimum standard of pay. Where employers break the law, they not only do a disservice to their staff but also undermine fair competition between businesses.”
A spokesperson from Buzz Bingo said: “We have always paid national minimum wage or above, so when these matters came to light five years ago, we immediately took steps to revise our time-recording technology and our staff uniform policies so the issues raised cannot be repeated. We would never intentionally short change our hard-working team and we apologised in 2018 to all colleagues affected and immediately reimbursed them for any losses.”