Holiday camp workers may now be able to receive a
refund of monies deducted allegedly unfairly by
well known nationwide operators.
The employer deducted a monthly sum from wages to
account for heating and utility bills but this
meant that the wages for many staff dipped below
the minimum level protected by statute.
A
number of test cases were brought by the National
Minimum Wage Compliance Unit and the Employment
Appeals Tribunal has now ruled in their favour.
This means that the monies will need to be repaid
to workers who were employed and affected by this
policy in 2004/2005.
Denise Gaston,
National Minimum Wage Business Manager at HM
Revenue & Customs, said:
"This ruling is
good news for all workers living in
accommodation provided by their employer. It
reinforces the fact that deductions for things
like heating and lighting must not take workers'
pay below their legal entitlement."