Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enforce the National Minimum Wage, and in particular to protect the employees of agencies and those on zero-hours contracts from exploitation.

The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it.

HMRC enforces the National Minimum Wage for all workers. This includes agency workers and those on zero hour contracts. HMRC investigates every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights helpline. In addition, HMRC conducts risk-based enforcement in sectors or areas where there is a higher risk of workers not getting paid the legal minimum wage.

The Government is taking a tougher approach on employers that break National Minimum Wage law and has already made it simpler to name and shame employers that break NMW law. The Government has also increased the financial penalty percentage that employers pay for breaking minimum wage law.