Female workers make up the majority of those being paid under the minimum wage, according to new figures.
The Low Pay Commission, which advises the government on pay levels, also revealed that women are the least likely to complain about being underpaid.
In HMRC’s investigations, two thirds of underpaid workers are women, and the majority of underpaid workers are female, part-time and hourly paid
At least 13,000 employees will receive compensation for their loss of pay after a record £2bn was refunded this year.
Chair of the Low Pay Commission Bryan Sanderson said:
“With more workers than ever paid the minimum wage or close to it, more people are at risk of being underpaid.
“Our analysis finds that up to 1 in 5 people who should be paid at least the minimum wage may in fact receive less. This equates to between 305,000 and 580,000 workers at its highest point, though it is a difficult thing to measure.“
In October 2016, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people whose pay was below the headline rate of the NMW was 362,000.
“We know there are more wage-dodging employers out there,” said Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s general secretary.”
“TUC research suggests there are at least a quarter of a million workers being cheated out of the minimum wage.”
Argos was revealed earlier in the year to be the worst offender, with an £800,000 fine levied on the retail giant.
About 50 employers in the hospitality sector – including two fish and chip shops – were fined for not paying the minimum wage, or the National Living Wage for those aged over 25, whilst fish and chip shops and hairdressers also ranked highly in not paying minimum wage.
In February Argos admitted to not paying 37,000 staff an average of £64 each.
The National Living Wage for over 25’s currently stands at £7.50 an hour, whilst 21-24 year old’s get £7.05 on average.
For 16 and 17 year old’s, the national average is £4.05, whilst 18-20 year old’s receive £5.60 as an average.
Apprentice’s can expect to earn £3.50 on average.
