Two Fife travel firms have been named and shamed as having failed to pay at least the minimum wage.
Moorlands Travel (Kelty), of Fife, failed to pay £2,110.8 to two workers. Meanwhile, B & E Travel, trading as Barrhead Travel, Fife, failed to pay £994.56 to one staff employee.
The two businesses were among 260 who were fined for failing to pay at least the minimum wage.
The companies were identified in a crackdown by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The 260 companies were fined a total of £1.3 million by the Government department.
Barrhead Travel claimed its Fife franchise had underpaid due to human error.
A statement released by the company said: “Once this was discovered by an independent audit, the appropriate payment was paid to the employee. We work very hard to ensure we meet all our employer responsibilities which is why we addressed the issue as quickly as possible.”
A number of hotels across the UK and airport ground handler Swissport were also among those prosecuted.
The worst offending sectors were hospitality, retail and hairdressing, according to the Government department.
Margot James, Business Minister, commented: “There is no excuse for not paying staff the wages they’re entitled to and the Government will come down hard on businesses that break the rules.
“That’s why we are naming hundreds of employers who have been short changing their workers. And to ensure there are consequences for their wallets as well as their reputation, we’ve levied millions in back pay and fines.”
The crackdown has identified £8 million in back pay for 58,000 workers since 2013, with 1,500 employers fined a total of £5 million.