Carphone Warehouse in minimum wage 'sting'

Staff paid less than legal requirement

By John Oates • Get more from this author

Posted in IT Director, 1st June 2004 10:57 GMT

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Staff at Carphone Warehouse are not getting paid the minimum guaranteed by UK employment law. The phone shop tops up staff salaries if they fail to meet the legal requirement of £4.50 an hour but takes the money back from later payments if their commission increases, according to the Scotsman.

James Edgerton worked in Carphone Warehouse's shop in the Mall, Bristol. After his first month's employment CW added £200 to his monthly wage cheque to ensure he earnt the minium wage. But the next month Edgerton found his wages had been docked by £200. He took his concerns to his manager who reassured him that the company was too big to do anything illegal

Carphone Warehouse insisted it was impossible for anyone working for the company to earn less than the minimum wage. In a statement the company said: "We are currently working with the National Minimum Wage compliance team to resolve a small technicality regarding our pay top up structure, however this has no impact on our consultants guaranteed earnings of £1,000 per month." ®