B&Q and Five Guys on Minimum Wage Underpayment List
UK Department for Business and Trade names 658 employers, including B&Q and Five Guys, for paying staff below minimum wage, issuing £7m in penalties.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- UK department names 658 employers failing to pay minimum wage
- Firms ordered to return £4m in unpaid wages alongside £7m in penalties
- B&Q underpaid 4,530 workers over £456,000
- Five Guys underpaid 3,699 workers over £54,000
More than 600 employers across the UK have been ordered to return outstanding wages to affected workers, with a total of £4m repaid, according to data from the Department for Business and Trade. The government crackdown highlights widespread compliance issues across various sectors.
Alongside the repayment orders, the offending firms have been issued financial penalties amounting to £7m. The comprehensive list of 658 businesses includes retail shops, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers, and several NHS trusts, though the government did not specify the exact time span during which these underpayments occurred.
Current minimum wage regulations dictate a rate of £12.71 for staff aged 21 and over, £10.85 for 18 to 20-year-olds, and £8 for those under 18 and apprentices. Among the listed companies, home improvement retailer B&Q topped the list for the highest total underpayment, short-changing 4,530 workers by more than £456,000.
A spokesperson for B&Q stated that the company worked closely and transparently with HMRC throughout the compliance process and has successfully made all required payments to current and former employees affected. Meanwhile, Five Guys JV Limited in London was listed for underpaying 3,699 workers a total of £54,642.47.
"Underpaying your staff is illegal, and we will not let workers foot the bill for their boss failing to follow the rules."
Kate Dearden, Minister for the Future of Work
Healthcare organizations were also implicated, including St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group, which failed to pay over £123,000 to 75 workers, and St George's University Hospitals in Wandsworth, which underpaid 55 workers. Representatives for the hospital trusts maintained that no colleagues were underpaid despite the findings.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The government's naming scheme serves as both a punitive and reputational deterrent for businesses failing to meet labor standards. Hidden working hours, such as mandatory pre-shift briefings, uniform changes, and handover periods, frequently contribute to unintentional underpayment if not properly tracked in corporate payroll systems.
The top 10 employers on the government's list, ordered by total unpaid wages, include:
- B&Q Ltd: Failed to pay £456,934.72 to 4,530 workers
- Elysium Healthcare Holdings 3 Ltd: Failed to pay £330,048.81 to 1,095 workers
- St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group: Failed to pay £123,331.97 to 75 workers
- Support Staff Services Limited: Failed to pay £119,715.13 to 323 workers
- Forest Holidays Ltd: Failed to pay £100,308.68 to 598 workers
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Failed to pay £77,498.91 to 55 workers
- Lanes Group Limited: Failed to pay £67,893.34 to 297 workers
- UK Care Team Ltd: Failed to pay £67,082.76 to 99 workers
- Five Guys JV Limited: Failed to pay £54,642.47 to 3,699 workers
- Merlin Cinemas Limited: Failed to pay £50,198.75 to 181 workers
This release marks the first naming round since the establishment of the Fair Work Agency in April under the Employment Rights Act. The agency is poised to expand its enforcement beyond minimum wage to tackle issues regarding holiday and sick pay denials.
Source: BBC Business
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