FORMER staff members are taking action against a Winchester pub after not being paid.

Some former employees of The Roebuck Inn, in Fulflood, say they are owed as much as £2,000.

But the pub has said it's working towards getting all past and present employees and suppliers paid by Christmas - a spokesman said they had been hit hard by rising energy prices and bills and a lack of custom due to the cost of living crisis. 

Many former staff members have turned to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service or taken legal action.

One of the first was Emily Hamill-Loader, who helped manager Mark Bowman and his wife Helen take over the pub with proprietor Chris Airey in October 2019.

Miss Hamill-Loader, 25, has since successfully won an employment tribunal for which the business Vertman Ltd - which currently lists Mrs Bowman as director on Companies House - was ordered to pay £2,692.40 each to Emily and her colleague Oliver Henshall. The sum remains unpaid since the judgement on February 4, 2022.

She said: “When you’re owed that amount of money you can’t leave, you’re in too deep.”

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The 22-year-old said problems with payments started in February 2020.

By Christmas that year, Emily said she was not paid enough money to get through December.

And she is not alone in her problems. Student Freya Todd has issued a small claims court summons against the pub.

The 22-year-old is owed about £500. She said: “I was driven to the small claims court simply because I wasn’t getting any response. 

“As a student, I’m always in debt so the money would’ve really helped me out. 

“I’d like them to pay what is owed. It’s a nice pub and deserves to be taken over by a loyal boss that will pay their staff on time.”

Another former worker, who wanted to remain anonymous while taking action, was fired by text message on October 18 with one day of notice. 

They said: “I was absolutely gutted." 

One former manager, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that staff were told that the pub simply couldn’t pay them.

A spokesman for the pub said they are aware that some staff are waiting to be paid but said he could not comment on individual cases as they are dealing with ACAS.

They said: “The pub has been hit extremely hard since the current cost of living crisis began, with decreased demand due to everyone having less money in their pockets but also extremely high energy and food costs which we had not budgeted for or expected, but we are working hard to get all staff paid in time for Christmas.

“We are making contingencies for 2023 including a temporary closure to reduce the excessive costs for energy and additional services associated with having the business open. As soon as we saw an issue, staff were informed to either stay or leave and we would help them as much as we can.”

They said the issue lay with holiday pay. 

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