The government has named and shamed two organisations in the Harrogate district today for paying below the national minimum wage.

Swinton Park, near Masham, and Harrogate commercial cleaning company SBFM Limited were among the 191 national employers named by the government for underpaying workers.

Swinton Park, which charges around £300 a night, failed to pay £1,751 to 15 staff, according to investigations by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs between 2011 and 2018.

The issue at Swinton Park, which is set in 20,000 acres, came to light following a HMRC visit in March 2017.

The hotel said in a statement today the HMRC meeting had highlighted how some staff accommodation deposits had been taken incorrectly.

The statement added:

“As soon as we were alive to the fact, all accommodation deposits were refunded to all staff and any errors were repaid in full, again in March 2017. The company did not receive a fine or any penalty.

“Swinton Park pays above national minimum wage to all staff and we are continually striving to be a hospitality business of choice for employees through our salary and benefits packages.”

Swinton, which has been owned by the Cunliffe-Lister family since the 1880s, is one of the top hotels in the Harrogate district.

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SBFM Limited, which is based at Cardale Park in Harrogate, was also named for breaching the national minimum wage.

According to the government, the cleaning company failed to pay £583.02 to one worker.

The Stray Ferret contacted SBFM for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Other notable businesses named on the list include John Lewis plc, Martin McColl Retail Ltd, One Stop Stores Ltd and The Body Shop International Ltd.

Business minister Paul Scully said:

“Our minimum wage laws are there to ensure a fair day’s work gets a fair day’s pay – it is unacceptable for any company to come up short.

“All employers, including those on this list, need to pay workers properly.

“This government will continue to protect workers’ rights vigilantly, and employers that short-change workers won’t get off lightly.”