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The popular Bluestone Resort is among 17 employers in Wales named by the Government today for failing to pay some of their staff the national minimum or national living wage.

Other businesses in the list include the Thai Lounge in Whitchurch, Cardiff, and the Ruthin Castle Hotel in Denbighshire.

Now 43 workers in Wales will receive more than £30,000 in back pay between them.

The 17 employers in Wales are:

1. Mr William Gareth Griffiths & Mrs Llinos Griffiths trading as Gareth Griffiths, Ceredigion SY23, failed to pay £9,230.56 to one worker.

2. Miss Tracey Newnian trading as Tracey’s Unisex Salon, Carmarthenshire SA31, failed to pay £3,879.67 to one worker.

3. Thai Lounge (Cardiff) Limited trading as Thai Lounge, Cardiff CF14, failed to pay £2,527.27 to four workers.

4. Bluestone Resorts Limited, Pembrokeshire SA67, failed to pay £2,378.98 to two workers.

5. Mr Paul Isaac and Mrs Hayley Isaac trading as Refit Design Shopfitters, Neath Port Talbot SA10, failed to pay £1,941.04 to one worker.

6. Burlesque Hair Company Limited, Newport NP20, failed to pay £1,672.58 to three workers.

7. Celtic Community Services Limited, Rhondda Cynon Taf CF72, failed to pay £1,521.44 to five workers.

8. Kingston City Properties Limited, Cardiff CF24, failed to pay £626.01 to one worker.

9. The Burrows Day Care Nursery (Porthcawl) Limited, Bridgend CF36, failed to pay £550.30 to four workers.

10. The Wild Swan Limited, Swansea SA1, failed to pay £380.71 to four workers.

11. Mr Talal Al-Arab and Mr Hani Hussain trading as Bella Pizza, Gwynedd LL55, failed to pay £377.25 to one worker.

12. Ms Mandy James trading as Prince of Wales Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf CF42, failed to pay £254.34 to one worker.

13. M Camilleri & Sons Roofing Limited, Vale of Glamorgan CF64, failed to pay £1,150.68 to 11 workers.

14. Adeiladwyr Eryri Builders CYF, Gwynedd LL52, failed to pay £864 to one worker.

15. Mr Dylan Rhys Roberts trading as D R Roberts Plumbing & Heating, Denbighshire LL15, failed to pay £735.58 to one worker.

16. Whistlestop Café (North Wales) Ltd trading as Whistlestop Café, Denbighshire LL18, failed to pay £433.68 to one worker.

17. Ruthin Castle Hotel Ltd, Denbighshire LL15, failed to pay £2,182.49 to one worker.

This is what Bluestone had to say

A spokesperson said: “Over the period 2013-16, two of our 700 staff on lower pay bands fell below the relevant minimum wage on this basis and had to be topped up with additional payments.

"This was due to one minor compliance issue. For staff who pay rent for accommodation provided by the company, we were required to deduct their actual rent paid from their gross pay each month, and add back a set daily rental allowance (roughly £150pm) to determine the effective hourly pay rate.

“This is essentially a subsidised accommodation. Had the employees been renting at the same rate from another private landlord, Bluestone would not have failed to comply with HMRC requirements.”

The spokesman added that the rent the employees paid was around half the average for the area and included bills, but that this wasn't taken into account in the way HMRC made its calculations.

Finance director Neil Evans added: “HMRC concentrated on two of our staff who were living in accommodation that we provide and each of those employees paid £250 each per month on rent from net pay. As this was slightly over the rental allowance, in the eyes of HMRC, we defaulted on minimum wage even though all our staff are paid at living wage or over regardless of age.”

Mr Evans said the total amount of arrears paid back by Bluestone was £2,378.98. This was broken down to £,1419.65 for one employee and £959.33 for the other.

The UK picture

Altogether 233 businesses across the UK have been named and shamed for underpaying workers.

More than 13,000 workers will get around £2m in back pay as part of the Government’s scheme to name employers who have failed to pay the national minimum wage and living wage.

As well as paying back staff the money owed, employers on the list have been fined a record £1.9m by the Government.

Retail, hairdressing and hospitality businesses were among the most prolific offenders. Common errors made by employers in this round included deducting money from pay packets to pay for uniforms, failure to account for overtime hours, and wrongly paying apprentice rates to workers.

Since 2013 the scheme has identified £6m back pay for 40,000 workers, with 1,200 employers fined £4m.

What are the national minimum and living wages?

The National Living Wage is payable to workers aged 25 and over. The current rate is £7.50 per hour.

The National Minimum Wage is payable to workers aged from 16 to 24. There are three rates: 16 to 17-year-olds receive £4.05 per hour, 18 to 20-year-olds receive £5.60, and 21 to 24-year-olds receive £7.05.

In addition there is an apprentice rate of £3.50 per hour for apprentices under 19 or over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship.

What people said

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said: “While most employers get it right, it is simply not acceptable that some employers in Wales are failing to pay at least the minimum wage their workers are entitled to.

“The UK Government is determined to make sure everybody in work receives a fair wage and to building an economy that works for all. April’s increase in the national minimum and living wage rates is putting more money into the pockets of Wales’ lowest paid workers than ever before.

“Excuses for not paying employees what they are legally owed will not be tolerated.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady added: “The minimum wage has been around for nearly 20 years. There is no excuse for employers to claim ignorance, or to blame problems on admin errors.

“Increasing investment in enforcement is clearly paying off. This is a huge amount of cash owed to low-paid workers.”