Restaurant chains Wagamama and TGI Fridays have each been fined an undisclosed sum for neglecting to pay staff the National Minimum Wage.

They were among 43 businesses in the hospitality sector on the government’s most recent list of firms infringing the law.

Wagamama has reimbursed an average of £50 to 2,630 workers. TGI Friday’s needed to repay £25 each to 2,300 staff.

Wagamama faulted “an inadvertent misunderstanding” of the standards on staff uniform for the blunder.

A Wagamama explanation said the organization had solicited front-from house staff to black jeans or a black skirt with their Wagamama-branded top.

This was considered as soliciting them to purchase a shape from uniform, “and so we should have paid them for it,” the organization said.

“We have gladly made payments to current and previous employees who missed out dating back from 2016 to 2013. We have also updated our uniform policy and we now pay a uniform supplement to cover the black jeans.

“Our people are the heart and soul of Wagamama and we take great pride in supporting and helping them to build their careers with us.”

A TGI Fridays explanation said the firm had repaid colleagues for a shoe stipend.

The firm added: “This is a historic payment which was paid last year, and we have since reimbursed team members for the purchase of their black uniform shoes.”