Hmrc probe set to give workers share of £7. 4 million after being underpaid

Tens of thousands of workers are set to receive £7.4million after being underpaid by their employers. HMRC, the tax arm of the Labour Party government, has conducted investigations and found

that workers who have been left out of pocket will be reimbursed over £7.4million. This follows investigations by HMRC, which took place between 2015 and 2022, revealing that 518 employers

and businesses had underpaid nearly 60,000 staff members, reports Birmingham Live. Capita, one of the government's largest contractors, was the worst culprit: it failed to pay £1.5m to

5,543 employees. A spokesperson for Capita attributed the "inadvertent underpayments" to issues including adding 25 minutes a week for call centre staff to log in for their shifts

from 2015 to 2021. "All owed monies were paid immediately, and we apologise for any impact this had on colleagues and former colleagues at that time," the company added. "Our

processes and systems were updated to ensure there would be no further issues; we have continued to monitor them carefully, as well as any changes to employment regulations." Labour

Party Minister for Employment Rights, Justin Madders stated: "There is no excuse for employers to undercut their workers, and we will continue to name companies who break the law and

don't pay their employees what they are owed. "Ensuring workers have the support they need and making sure they receive a fair day's pay for a fair day's work is a key

commitment in our Plan for Change. This will put more money in working people's pockets, helping to boost productivity and ending low pay." Baroness Philippa Stroud, Chair of the

Low Pay Commission, commented: "We welcome today's publication. Underpayment leaves workers out of pocket and disadvantages the majority of employers who do abide by the rules.

These naming rounds play an important part in ensuring that all workers receive their full wages and that they are aware there is support for them to ensure that they do." Pizza Express

was found to have underpaid £760,702 to 8,470 workers, averaging around £90 each. Addressing the issue, a Pizza Express spokesperson stated: "Once we were made aware of this historic

unintentional technicality, which occurred between 2012 and 2018, we swiftly identified who was impacted, apologised and rectified. "There's nothing more important to us than

fairly and accurately paying our team members." TUC general secretary Paul Nowak urged the government to take strong action on breaches of minimum wage legislation. He asserted:

"Wage theft is bad for workers, families, and the economy. Every pound stolen from a worker's pocket is a pound not spent in local shops, cafes and high streets."