Three estate agents named by government for paying less than minimum wage

Three estate agents have been named in the latest government list of companies who have paid employees less than the National Living Wage.

Cheshire firm Jordan Fishwick, Lincolnshire agency Newton Fallowell and East London firm Lions Property Management featured in the latest list of 239 companies around the UK who collectively have underpaid some 22,400 workers by a total of £1.44 million.

The companies within the list, which is the largest in the history of the scheme, have been fined a total of £1.97 million and been required to pay all the money owed to the employees.

Jordan Fishwick features on the list for under paying 21 of its employees a total  of £1,362 while Newton Fallowell owed a single employee £255. The third agency involved, East London company Lions Property Management, under-paid one employee £144.

The details of these underpayments are small beer compared to some companies. A card factory in Wakefield underpaid 10,256 of its workers a staggering £430,097.

national minimum wage

All three property firms have had to reimburse their employees the owed money and may have been fined up to twice the outstanding arrears.

“Our priority is making sure workers know their rights and are getting the pay they worked hard for,” says Business Minister Andrew Griffiths (left).

“Employers who don’t do the right thing face fines as well as being hit with the bill for backpay.”

The National Minimum Wage was increased on April 1^st this year following a recent budget announcement by chancellor Philip Hammond.  It increased from £7.50 an hour for those over 25 years old to £7.83, an increase of 4.7%.

“It is crucial that employers understand their responsibilities and workers know their rights around the minimum wage,” says Low Pay Commission Chairman Bryan Sanderson (right).

“That is why active enforcement and effective communication from Government is so important.”