Argos Staff Paid Below Minimum Wage

[mikey4444]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/16/argos-staff-paid-minimum-wage-sainsburys-admits/

Another well-known High Street name caught out paying illegal wages. You have to watch these companies like a hawk. Its not just the Usual Suspects like Sorts Direct that have been found guilty.

[youngmafbog]

Why are Sports Direct a usual suspect. Like all other companies they are trying to make a profit.

[youngmafbog]

I do agree with your other point though.

[Gromit]

Low paid jobs such as this are mainly done by muslim immigrants who undercut the wages of fine white indigenous Brits.

[youngmafbog]

Gromit, pass round whatever you are smokin', it's rude not to share.

[mikey4444]

YMB....Companies like Sports Direct used to have a business ethos that said that in order to make the owner as much money as possible, it was thought OK to pay the workers as little as possible, and below minimum wage if necessary. They have learnt that they can't do that anymore, although the lesson about the minimum wage was a very hard one for Mike Ashley to learn.

Now Argos have been caught out. Who knows what other companies have yet to be identified ?

[Islay]

HMRC constantly work with and investigate companies to ensure that any suggestion of law breaking will be looked into and dealt with in line with the law.

[mikey4444]

Gromit....where on earth is the evidence for that coming from ?

We have 2 branches of Argos in my immediate area, and none appear to have any visible Muslim staff.

I seem to recall that when Sports Direct where in the news lately, that there was a significant shortage of Muslim staff at the huge Shirebrook location.

But what difference would it make anyway ? Employment law applies to everybody, irrespective of race.

[ummmm]

Debenhams were guilty of the same. They have paid up though.

[mikey4444]

Lets hope so Islay, although HMRC appears to fire-fighting at the moment, rather than preventing fires.

[youngmafbog]

Mickey, I think you will find the vast majority of companies have that ethos, they just bury it.

Islay, it is not easy for the MWSD to identify people being paid below minimum wage particularly as in the case of SD and Argos whereby it is the time to get through security that causes the money to fall below not a direct hourly rate. It usually is found during an investigation for something else or a whistleblower.

The problem with whistle blowing is that you can end up victimised and most people down at the bottom want to keep their jobs with as minimum fuss as possible.

Not sure what the answer is to be honest.

[Islay]

Tell me Mikey what do you expect them to do - through excessive governments starting with Labour have cut budgets so staff are sacked and made to retire early, there has been no recruitment and not payrises in 6+ years. Unless people report that they are not being paid the minimum wage what do you expect HMRC to do shake the crystal ball?

[mikey4444]

There is no easy answer to worker exploitation YMB, but all the Government agencies need to raise their game on this issue significantly.

They need to be pro-active and not wait until a whistle blower lands in their laps.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

Please do not lecture others:

"Argos staff paid below minimum wage to Muslims in only three posts".

[mikey4444]

Islay..... I have no doubt that HMRC and other agencies have had their budgets cut....who hasn't ?

But if cuts are eating into the efficiency of these organisations, then those cuts need to be reversed.

[ummmm]

My lord...I don't think Gromit was being serious!!

[andy-hughes]

AOG - //Gromit

Please do not lecture others: //

Please don't lecture AB'ers abut lecturing other AB'ers - it makes you sound like you are ... lecturing.

Oh, hang on ....

[Islay]

Mikey, there is not a government on this earth that will reverse the cuts - you have to make do and mend in more ways than one.

[hc4361]

The affected employees will receive £64 in back payment - how much were they underpaid each week if they were underpaid for 4 years and only £64 is the total?

[Islay]

AOG, Gromit's tongue was so firmly in his cheek its stuck there with that comment - nice to see you jump on it so quickly though - did it send your spider senses tingling?

[andy-hughes]

YMB - //Why are Sports Direct a usual suspect. Like all other companies they are trying to make a profit. //

Sports Direct have form - they were found to be making staff submit to body searches on exit, and the time taken meant that their pay for their attendance fell below the legal minimum wage.