Nearly 660 employers have been publicly named by the Government for failing to pay workers the National Minimum Wage, with around £4 million returned to more than 27,000 employees and £7 million in penalties imposed.
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade published the latest naming round on 3 September, listing 658 employers ranging from major national businesses and NHS organisations to smaller companies.
It is the first minimum-wage naming round since the Fair Work Agency was established in April, bringing enforcement of a range of workplace rights under a single body.
£4m returned to more than 27,000 workers
The Government says around £4 million has been repaid to more than 27,000 workers who had not received the pay legally due to them.
Employers on the list have also been issued penalties totalling £7 million.
Since the naming scheme began in 2011, the Government says more than £100 million in penalties have been imposed on over 5,200 employers, with more than £66 million repaid to around 650,000 workers.
B&Q tops Government list
B&Q Limited appears at the top of the latest list. The Government records a shortfall of £456,934.72 affecting 4,530 workers.
Elysium Healthcare Holdings 3 Limited is second, with £330,048.81 owed to 1,095 workers, while St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group is listed with £123,331.97 affecting 75 workers.
Other prominent names include Five Guys JV Limited, where the Government records £54,642.47 affecting 3,699 workers; Serco Limited, with £36,303.02 affecting 374 workers; and G4S Facilities Management (UK) Limited, with £31,158.47 affecting 479 workers.
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is separately listed with £77,498.91 affecting 55 workers.
The list also includes Leeds United Football Club Limited, which the Government says failed to pay £10,253.06 to 345 workers, and Whitbread Group PLC, with £4,193.39 affecting 342 workers.
First naming round under Fair Work Agency
The publication is the first naming round since the Fair Work Agency was launched on 7 April 2026.
The agency was created through the Employment Rights Act to bring enforcement of key employment rights into one place. Its current responsibilities include National Minimum Wage compliance, regulation of employment agencies and businesses, and the gangmasters licensing regime.
HM Revenue and Customs continues to enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency.
The agency is also due to take responsibility for additional employment rights over time, including enforcement of statutory holiday pay from 2027 and statutory sick pay.
Ministers warn employers to check payroll
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said most employers already understood the importance of treating workers properly but warned that the Government was determined to tackle underpayment.
Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden said underpaying staff was illegal and urged employers to check their payroll systems and seek support where necessary.
Fair Work Agency Advisory Board chair Matthew Taylor said the latest naming round was a reminder that payment of the minimum wage was a legal requirement and said employers falling short should expect enforcement action.
Minimum wage rose in April
From April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour.
The National Minimum Wage is £10.85 for workers aged 18 to 20, while the rates for workers under 18 and apprentices are £8 an hour.
The Government says employers must ensure workers receive at least the applicable statutory rate for all of their working time.
Naming does not establish deliberate underpayment
Inclusion on the Government's list establishes that an employer was found to have failed to pay the statutory minimum wage in the cases recorded, but it should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that an employer deliberately set out to underpay staff.
Minimum-wage breaches can arise in different circumstances, including the way working time, deductions or payroll arrangements interact with the statutory rules.
The Government is nevertheless increasing the prominence of enforcement, saying it intends to publish naming rounds more regularly so employers are held to account and problems are corrected sooner.
Fair Work Agency set for wider role
The creation of the Fair Work Agency marks a significant change in the Government's approach to workplace enforcement.
Ministers say the agency is intended both to make it easier for compliant employers to understand their responsibilities and to provide stronger enforcement where workers are denied legal employment rights.
For the 658 employers in the latest round, the immediate consequences have already included repayment of wages and financial penalties. The Government says the new agency will increasingly bring similar enforcement activity across a wider range of workplace rights under one roof.