“As well as being publicly named and shamed, employers that fail to pay their workers the national minimum wage face penalties of up to £20,000 [$30,000],” UK employment relations minister Jo Swinson said in a statement published on the government’s website.
The 37 firms, including the popular Swedish clothing brand, underpaid workers by almost £177,000 and have been charged financial penalties of over £51,000, according to the statement.
The government claims H&M neglected to pay about £2,600 to 540 workers. It also documented that real estate company Kings Group LLP neglected to pay almost £53,800 to 53 workers.
Almost 100 employers have now been publicly named by the UK government since the naming and shaming program was implemented in October 2013. Employers could face prosecution if they do not comply with the law.
The country’s minimum wage compliance and enforcement budget will be increased by a further £3 million to over £12 million pounds for the year 2015-2016, to aid in increasing the number of officers identifying businesses that fail to comply with the law, according to the statement.
Currently, the minimum wage for an adult aged 21 and over is £6.50 an hour.
