Hundreds of UK firms, including B&Q and Five Guys, named for underpaying staff below minimum wage
The UK government has published a list of 658 employers found to have paid staff less than the legal minimum wage, with £4m returned to workers and £7m in penalties issued.
What happened
The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has named 658 employers who failed to pay staff the legal minimum wage. More than 600 of them were ordered to repay the outstanding wages, with a total of £4m returned to workers, according to the department. The companies were also issued penalties totalling £7m. The list includes shops, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers and several NHS trusts. The period of underpayment varies by employer but overall spans from 2013 to 2025. The current minimum wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, £10.85 for those aged 18-20, and £8 for under-18s and apprentices.
The biggest cases
DIY retailer B&Q topped the list, having underpaid 4,530 workers a total of more than £456,000. The company said the shortfalls were unintentional, resulting from calculations involving geographical allowances, and that all affected staff were paid in full by July 2025. Fast-food chain Five Guys was listed as owing more than £54,000 to 3,699 workers, which it attributed to "technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied," identified during a review by HMRC, the UK tax authority. Several healthcare providers also appear on the list: the Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group failed to pay over £123,000 to 75 workers, which BBC News understands stemmed from salary sacrifice schemes that have since been changed. St George's University Hospitals in Wandsworth underpaid 55 workers, reportedly linked to similar schemes and issues with London weighting allowances — though the trust overseeing both hospital groups disputes that any staff were underpaid. At Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, apprentices were inadvertently underpaid between 2019 and 2023 because time spent in meetings, handovers and changing into uniform had not been factored into their pay.
Northern Ireland employers
Of the 658 firms named, 36 operate in Northern Ireland, including a care provider, hotels and solicitors' firms. The largest NI underpayment was by care company Peninsula Care Services (NI), which owed over £42,000 to 125 workers. Other firms named include solicitors Patterson & Rocks, The Bushmills Inn Hotel, and several small retailers and restaurants across the region.
Government response
This marks the first "naming round" since the Fair Work Agency was established in April under the Employment Rights Act. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government was determined to stamp out the practice of "short-changing your staff." Kate Dearden, minister for the future of work, said underpaying staff is illegal and that workers should not have to foot the bill for their employer's mistakes. Matthew Taylor, chair of the agency's advisory board, said paying the minimum wage "is not optional — it is the law."
