Sports Direct warehouse workers due to receive back pay

A deal has been made with the Unite union and HMRC which will affect thousands of staff employed at Sports Directs warehouses because the company did not pay them the minimum wage. This seems to be a growing problem in the UK with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills naming and shaming 113 companies found to be not paying the national minimum wage in October 2015.

Am I being paid too little?

These are the national minimum wage rates correct as of April 2016:

*Age*	25+	21-24	18-20	<18	Apprentice
Pay rate (per hour)	£7.20	£6.70	£5.30	£3.87	£3.30

There are a number of things you can do if you think you are not being paid the national minimum wage. The following is our advice if you think you are being paid too little.

Collect evidence

It is important to collect as much evidence as possible, collect pay slips and bank statements which will prove that the wrong amount of money being paid to you.

Check

There are 113 employers who have already been named and shamed as not providing employees with the pay they should have been. If you are or have been employed by these companies, then you may already be eligible for back pay.

Speak to us

Here at Seatons we believe that everyone should be paid their fair share. Our employment team have years of experience dealing with a wide range of employee disputes and can guide you on the next steps to take. We also specialise in checking over any correspondence you may want to send to your employers to ensure it is all correct and you are not making things worse for yourself.

Shouldn’t I be paid the national living wage?

In a word, no. The national living wage is an informal benchmark which is promoted by the Living Wage Foundation and recommended by the government. However, it is not legally enforceable which has meant that companies do not have to pay you the living wage and as a rule, do not. There are many companies which do now pay the national living wage. Examples include Oxfam, the National Grid and the Lloyds Banking Group.