I’d say movies and tv series are the blame to the youth wish to live there… who hasn’t dreamed to be in the NY of “Friends” per example?
Then you start thinking that they had huge apartments and were almost never working and that doesn’t match with reality 🤣
sounds like illegal indeed, you could’ve sue them to the work administration or whatever there is in the UK (I’ve worked there, but never had any issues on the working department… there’s so little unemployment that if you’re unhappy just go somewhere else 🤷♀️)