"The shortfalls in payments were unintentional."
B&Q and Five Guys are among hundreds of UK businesses named by the government for paying staff less than the minimum wage.
More than 600 employers have been ordered to pay workers the wages they were owed, with a total of £4 million returned to affected employees, according to the Department for Business and Trade.
The businesses have also been issued penalties worth £7 million.
The list of 658 employers includes retailers, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers and several NHS trusts. The government has not said over what period the underpayments took place.
B&Q underpaid 4,530 workers a total of more than £456,000, according to the government.
B&Q said in response: “The shortfalls in payments were unintentional. They relate to calculations involving geographical allowances which are paid in addition to minimum hourly rates.
“All affected colleagues were quickly paid in full in July 2025.”
Five Guys was also named after underpaying 3,699 workers more than £54,000.
The fast food chain said “technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied” were responsible for the underpayments, which were identified during a review by HMRC.
The company added: “We worked closely and transparently with HMRC throughout the process and have made all required payments to affected current and former employees.”
Several NHS trusts also appear on the government’s list.
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group was found to have failed to pay more than £123,000 to 75 workers, while St George’s University Hospitals in Wandsworth, London, underpaid 55 workers.
A spokesperson for the two hospital trusts said that “no colleagues were underpaid”.
“This relates to a technical compliance issue where part of their salary for a non tax-deductable ‘salary sacrifice’ (for example, towards childcare) was not counted towards the national minimum wage, even though their gross salary was above the national minimum wage.”
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust also said apprentices had been inadvertently underpaid between 2019 and 2023.
The trust said their pay met the requirements for their contracted hours, but meetings, handovers and time spent changing into uniform had not been accounted for.
It added that policies and practices have since been changed to prevent the issue from happening again.
The government list also includes several nursing homes and childcare providers.
The current minimum wage rate is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over. The rate is £10.85 for those aged 18 to 20, while under-18s and apprentices are entitled to £8 an hour.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government was determined to stamp out the practice of “short-changing your staff”.
He said:
“The best businesses know that looking after your workers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.”
Kate Dearden, minister for the future of work, said: “Underpaying your staff is illegal, and we will not let workers foot the bill for their boss failing to follow the rules.
“Every employer should check their payroll now and reach out to Acas if they need further support.”
The first 10 employers on the government’s list, ordered by the amount of wages not paid:
- B&Q Ltd, failed to pay £456,934.72 to 4,530 workers.
- Elysium Healthcare Holdings 3 Ltd, Borehamwood, 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, Slough, failed to pay £119,715.13 to 323 workers.
- Forest Holidays Ltd, Moira, failed to pay £100,308.68 to 598 workers.
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London (Wandsworth), failed to pay £77,498.91 to 55 workers.
- Lanes Group Limited, Leeds, failed to pay £67,893.34 to 297 workers.
- UK Care Team Ltd, Leicester, LE19, failed to pay £67,082.76 to 99 workers.
- Five Guys JV Limited, London (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea), failed to pay £54,642.47 to 3,699 workers.
- Merlin Cinemas Limited, Redruth, failed to pay £50,198.75 to 181 workers.
The latest list marks the first “naming round” since the Fair Work Agency was established in April under the Employment Rights Act.
The agency is responsible for enforcing the minimum wage and will soon take action against practices involving the denial of holiday and sick pay.
Matthew Taylor, chair of the agency’s advisory board, said naming employers that underpay staff was an important reminder that “paying the minimum wage is not optional – it is the law”.
He said: “Most employers want to do the right thing, and we will support them to comply, but those who fall short should expect robust enforcement to protect workers and maintain a fair playing field for responsible businesses.”
