A company that runs a Bucks artisan bakery is among 191 UK firms that broke the national minimum wage law, according to a new report by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Following investigations by HMRC, HPJ (GX) Ltd, trading as Jungs, was found to have failed to pay £6,059.37 to five workers.

This is despite the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage increasing in April this year.

A bakery spokesman told the Bucks Free Press it was to do with staff accommodation and that a full statement was forthcoming.

HMRC found the breaches took place between 2011 and 2018, with the named employers since being made to pay back what they owed and fined an additional £3.2 million.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said while not all minimum wage underpayments are intentional, “it has always been the responsibility of all employers to abide by the law”.

The employers named today previously underpaid workers in the following ways:

  • 47% wrongly deducted pay from workers’ wages, including for uniform and expenses
  • 30% failed to pay workers for all the time they had worked, such as when they worked overtime
  • 19% paid the incorrect apprenticeship rate

Business minister Paul Scully said: “Our minimum wage laws are there to ensure a fair day’s work gets a fair day’s pay – it is unacceptable for any company to come up short.

“All employers, including those on this list, need to pay workers properly.

“This government will continue to protect workers’ rights vigilantly, and employers that short-change workers won’t get off lightly.”

Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage have to pay back arrears of wages to the worker at current minimum wage rates.

They also face hefty financial penalties of up to 200% of arrears – capped at £20,000 per worker – which are paid to the government.

Chairman of the Low Pay Commission Bryan Sanderson said: “These are very difficult times for all workers, particularly those on low pay who are often undertaking critical tasks in a variety of key sectors including care.

“The minimum wage provides a crucial level of support and compliance is essential for the benefit of both the recipients and our society as a whole.”

Jungs has been contacted for comment. The full list of companies can be found here.