A multi-million pound Swindon security company has made it onto the government's 'naming and shaming' list for failing to pay some of its workers the minimum wage.

Award-winning SSGC Ltd was one of 208 companies which were exposed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in their latest list.

But the company's CEO says they inherited the policy around uniform and management immediately rectified the situation as soon as they became aware of breaching the rules.

The government found that SSGC Ltd had failed to pay £3,884.89 to 102 workers.

The Adver reported in May last year that the security firm's business had grown from a £1.5 million annual turnover in 2014 to more than £100 million after it had helped staff Covid vaccination centres.

David Stubbs, CEO of SSGC Ltd, said: “SSGC apologises to the staff concerned for the underpayment to them and immediately corrected the position.

“SSGC has always paid its staff over minimum wage, however an inherited policy from before our management buyout on cost recovery for uniform meant we had a technical infringement of the rules.

“SSGC has accepted this and the policy was immediately removed."

“SSGC has made significant moves towards being the very best employer in the security industry.

“SSGC actively advises clients in the benefits of paying real living wage and now has more than 95 per cent of its staff paid above this.

“In addition, SSGC has developed a staff portal where pay accruals can be checked live and a dedicated staff concierge service.

“SSGC values its staff immensely and will continue to develop an environment where its workforce can thrive.”

The previous list was published in August and included three Swindon businesses.

In that document, the government stressed that not all minimum wage underpayments were intentional, but that it had always been the responsibility of employers to check and abide by the law

The report added: "Minimum wage breaches can occur when workers are being paid on or just above the minimum wage rate, and then have deductions from their pay for uniform or accommodation."

In December, 47% of the businesses listed wrongly deducted pay from workers' wages for uniform and expenses.

SSGC's breach appears to fall under this unintentional underpayment bracket.

Minister for Labour Markets Paul Scully sai: "Today’s 208 businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working employees, regardless of whether it was intentional or not."

The government has ordered employers to repay workers and the companies face penalties of nearly £2 million for leaving around 12,000 workers out of pocket.