Argos has been ordered to pay 37,000 former and current staff backpay amounting to £2.4m, after an HMRC investigation revealed its failure to pay staff the national minimum wage. According to the investigation, the online and catalogue retailer had scheduled staff briefings before workers began their shifts and had insisted on carrying out staff security checks outside of working hours.
HMRC has also fined the company £1.5m for the underpayment, however the amount is expected to decrease to £800,000 due to Argos’s pledge to pay the fine within the discounted 14-day period.
The findings come in light of attempts made by the government to “name and shame” companies that have similarly failed to pay their workers the national minimum wage.
