SHORTCHANGED.. New Hope Nursery was one of around 50 businesses ‘named and shamed’ by the HMRC
A NURSERY in Enniskillen has been named in a list of companies that failed to pay staff the minimum wage.
New Hope Nursery was one of around 50 businesses ‘named and shamed’ by the HMRC who they say failed to pay employees the lowest legal wage.
However, Geraldine Kelly, who runs the Enniskillen nursery, says she feels “targeted” by the government for inculding her business in the list for what she claims was a misunderstanding.
The 46-year-old said the business was included in the list because of confusion over whether she had to pay her workers for first aid and child protection training, not that she underpaid her employees.
The Trillick woman also told the Fermanagh Herald she felt disheartened that the nursery was named.
She explained that the issue was flagged during a routine inspection.
“They said everything was fine but he then asked me if the girls did courses and when I said they did he asked if I paid them for their time out.
“I explained that they go to courses to keep up their first aid and child protection which is valid for three years so if they left me next month they take it with them – it’s not my course. I said I didn’t pay them as it was outside work hours so he came back and said I had to pay them.
“That then resulted in the girls being below the minimum wage for that week.
“It was £343 spilt between 11 people which they all got right away. Then they also fined me £190.
“It really annoyed me because I thought why am I being named with people that maybe haven’t pay them through for minimum wage when I always have with my staff at the least if not more.
“I thought it was very unfair that I was being targeted along with people who weren’t putting stuff through right.
“I felt very disheartened as it didn’t look good for the business that I wasn’t paying staff at least the minimum wage, which is not the case.”
A spokesman for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills said “employers should be aware that hours spent in training must not take the pay that people receive below the national minimum wage.
“All employment that are investigated by HMRC and issued with a notice of underpayment will be named under the current scheme. Making a mistake is not a good enough reason to avoid being named.”
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