A PEMBROKESHIRE holiday resort has been placed on a ‘name and shame’ list of companies failing to pay their staff the minimum wage or living wage.

Bluestone Resorts Limited has paid back £2,378.98 to two staff and found themselves on a list of 17 Welsh employers highlighted for underpaying 40 staff across the country.

The list is published annually by the Government.

A spokesman for Bluestone told the Western Telegraph the situation come about over an issue with accommodation at the site:

"Over the period 2013-16, two of our 700 staff on lower pay bands fell below the relevant minimum wage on this basis and had to be topped up with additional payments.

"This was due to one minor compliance issue. For staff who pay rent for accommodation provided by the company, we were required to deduct their actual rent paid from their gross pay each month, and add back a set daily rental allowance (roughly £150pm) to determine the effective hourly pay rate.

“This is essentially a subsidised accommodation. Had the employees been renting at the same rate from another private landlord, Bluestone would not have failed to comply with HMRC requirements.”

The spokesman added that the rent the employees paid was around half the average for the area and included bills, but that this wasn't taken into account in the way HMRC made its calculations.

Finance director Neil Evans added: “HMRC concentrated on two of our staff who were living in accommodation that we provide and each of those employees paid £250 each per month on rent from net pay. As this was slightly over the rental allowance, in the eyes of HMRC, we defaulted on minimum wage even though all our staff are paid at living wage or over regardless of age.”

Mr Evans said the total amount of arrears paid back by Bluestone was £2,378.98. This was broken down to £,1419.65 for one employee and £959.33 for the other.

Across the UK More than 13,000 of the UK’s lowest paid workers will get around £2m in back pay.

Since 2013, the scheme has identified £6m back pay for 40,000 workers, with 1,200 employers fined £4m.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said: “While most employers get it right, it is simply not acceptable that some employers in Wales are failing to pay at least the minimum wage their workers are entitled to.

“The UK Government is determined to make sure everybody in work receives a fair wage and to building an economy that works for all. April’s increase in the national minimum and living wage rates is putting more money into the pockets of Wales’ lowest paid workers than ever before.

“Excuses for not paying employees what they are legally owed will not be tolerated.”