Nursery bosses have hit out at “wrongly” being named and shamed for not paying the minimum wage.
ABC Day Nursery in Newsome and Cornfields Day Nursery at Slaithwaite have both been named by the government as employers who were caught under-paying staff.
But the owners of both have said government officials have failed to listen to their explanations and unfairly tarred them with the same brush as unscrupulous businesses.
Dianne Bangali, owner of ABC nursery, said the £5,834.08 she had been reported as owing to five staff had been taken from pay packets with their full agreement over three years, for things such as childcare payments, social outings and extra uniforms.
She confirmed no-one had been paid under the minimum wage, which is currently £7.20 for workers aged 25 and over.
Mrs Bangali said a government official had visited and insisted all the cash was refunded despite staff agreeing to the money coming directly out of their wages. The five workers involved then had to hand the money back to the nursery.
She said: “Nobody lost out in any way, shape or form. I think we’re soft targets and it’s a cynical way of trying to curry favour with the public.
“I realise there’s unscrupulous employers out there but this action has actually jeopardised the livelihoods of several people as nurseries like mine rely on their reputation.”
Michael Shaw, one of the owners of Cornfields Days Nursery, said the naming and shaming scheme as “outrageous”.
Mr Shaw said his staff were salaried but because they worked different amounts of days each month, some months they were overpaid and others underpaid.
He said officers from the minimum wage unit had focused only on the underpaid months leaving the impression they had underpaid five staff a total of £462.78.
“I’m absolutely outraged by this,” he said. “At the end of the year it all balances out. I think it’s outrageous that they’re making a play of naming and shaming nurseries.”
Claire Schofield from the National Day Nurseries Association, said: “It’s vital nurseries ensure they understand and follow National Minimum Wage requirements.
“Equally, as government is now taking these new punitive measures, it has a greater responsibility than ever to provide clear guidance.
“However, our members struggle to navigate the complicated sea of rules and tell us that there is a lack of clear information to guide them.
“NDNA has been campaigning for better, clearer information and guidance for childcare providers for a number of years and will continue to raise this issue with Government.”
