We should all know where our gaffers live of course. Why would they try to hide otherwise?
If wages are not paid, it’s nice to know you can go straight around there and have it out with them.
Bugger “court orders” - there are so many fake ones out there these days, that the real ones get lost in the tide of fake letters pretending to be from Bailiffs, Courts, Law Firms, Councils, and even Company House - asking for money. The numbers one is supposed to call are premium rate, so anyone sensible realizes the scam, and they go straight in the bin of course.
Court papers still have to be served upon people. Even THAT is harder to do these days, with the outsourced bonded mail couriers that abound.
It’s even a risk working to the end of the same week before being paid - if you think about it.
Being in the EU still has made working for anyone but a megacorporation rather fraught with difficulty.
Perhaps things will go back to where we had a nation full of small businesses once we’ve left. I believe “To Empower Small Business” was reason #3 for people voting for Brexit btw.
(#1 and #2 being “Getting the money back” and “Curbing Immigration” respectively)