A HAIRDRESSERS has been ‘named and shamed’ by the government after it underpaid an apprentice worker £500 due to a mix up.

The department for business, energy and industrial strategy last week named and shamed 360 employers for paying below the national minimum or living wage.

Included on the list was Joleyn’s Hair Studio on Church Street, which failed to pay a total of £517.89 to one worker.

But salon owner Joleyn Kelly believes she should not have been named by the government in this way as the underpayment was made in error.

She said: “We were changing our training provider for an apprentice and we weren’t fully signed up to either provider for literally a couple of weeks.

“We didn’t know that during that time the apprentice had to be on a full wage.

“It’s not really fair to be named like this but it’s one of those things.”

National companies including Debenhams were also named on the list, with the department store giant having underpaid £134,000 to more than 11,000 staff.

Excuses used by some companies for underpaying workers included using tips to top up their pay, docking wages to pay for staff Christmas parties and making them pay for their own uniforms out of their salary.

Business minister Margot James said: “Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and this government will ensure they get it.

“That is why we have named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished.”