More than 650 employers, including B&Q, Five Guys, Serco and Premier Inn owner Whitbread, have been named by the UK Government after failing to pay some workers the legal minimum wage.
The Department for Business and Trade said 658 employers had been found to have underpaid more than 27,000 workers. Around £4 million has since been repaid to affected employees following enforcement action.
The Government also issued penalties totalling £7 million against employers found to have breached minimum wage rules. Ministers said the naming of businesses was intended to encourage employers to comply with their legal responsibilities and ensure workers receive the wages they are owed.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said companies could not treat underpayment as a way to reduce costs.
“Short-changing your staff isn’t a shortcut to success and we are determined to stamp it out,” he said.
Kate Dearden, Minister for the Future of Work, said underpaying employees was illegal and that workers should not bear the consequences of employers failing to follow the rules.
The Government said it planned to publish naming lists more frequently so businesses found to have breached wage laws could be identified and required to correct problems more quickly.
B&Q was the largest employer on the latest list. The DIY retailer was found to have underpaid 4,530 workers by a combined £456,934.
The company said the issue was unintentional and involved calculations relating to geographical allowances paid on top of minimum hourly rates. B&Q said all affected employees had been fully reimbursed by July 2025.
Elysium Healthcare Holdings 3 Limited was found to owe £330,048 to 1,095 workers, while St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group owed £123,331 to 75 employees.
Five Guys was named after almost 3,700 workers were underpaid a combined £54,642. The company attributed the shortfall to technical differences in the application of payroll regulations and said all current and former employees affected had been paid.
Serco underpaid 374 workers by £36,303. The company said a technical error involving salary sacrifice arrangements affected one contract more than two years ago and was corrected once discovered.
Whitbread was also named after 342 employees were underpaid £4,193. The company said an administrative error caused the shortfall and had since been corrected.
The national living wage for workers aged 21 and over increased to £12.71 an hour on 1 April 2026. The minimum rate for those aged 18 to 20 rose to £10.85, while workers under 18 and apprentices receive at least £8 an hour.
