The Government has published a national minimum wage naming list identifying 658 employers that failed to pay their workers the legal minimum, with around £4 million in back pay returned to more than 27,000 workers following enforcement action. The national minimum wage naming round comes alongside penalties totalling £7 million issued to those found in breach.
The National Minimum Wage is the legal floor for hourly pay in the UK. When employers fall below it, the Government can investigate, require back-payment, and impose financial penalties on top, a process now being strengthened through a new enforcement body.
Who Was Named and How Much Did They Owe?
The largest sum identified in this round was owed by B&Q, described as having failed to pay £456,934 to 4,530 workers. A spokesman for the company said: ‘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.’
Other employers on the list included Elysium Healthcare Holdings Limited (£330,048 owed to 1,095 workers), St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group in Epsom (£123,331 to 75 workers), and Support Staff Services Limited in Slough (£119,715 to 323 workers). Forest Holidays Ltd was recorded as owing £100,308 to 598 workers, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust £77,498 to 55 workers, Lanes Group Limited in Leeds £67,893 to 297 workers, and UK Care Team Ltd in Leicester £67,082 to 99 workers.
The position of St George’s, Epsom and St Helier is understood to be that no staff were actually underpaid in the conventional sense. The issue, as understood, related to a technical compliance matter where part of a salary given up through a non-tax-deductible ‘salary sacrifice’ arrangement, for example towards childcare costs, was not counted towards the minimum wage calculation, even though the gross salary exceeded the minimum wage threshold. The hospitals have since changed their process.
What the National Minimum Wage Naming Means for Employers
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds 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, building the stronger, more successful businesses that drive growth in every postcode. Short-changing your staff isn’t a shortcut to success and we are determined to stamp it out.’
Minister for the future of work Kate Dearden added: ‘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 Government said it was committed to publishing naming lists more regularly, so that employers are held to account more swiftly and prompted to make improvements as soon as possible.
Under the rules set out by the GOV.UK enforcement policy, the maximum penalty for underpayment is £20,000 per worker, calculated at 200% of the total amount underpaid. Employers who pay all outstanding wages plus 50% of the penalty within 14 days can have their penalty halved, giving those who act quickly a financial incentive to settle fast.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: ‘Bosses who fail to pay the minimum wage deserve to be named and shamed. There is no excuse for workers being cheated out of the minimum wage. It’s bad for workers, families and the economy. Every pound taken from a worker’s pocket is a pound that could have been spent in local shops, cafes and high streets.’
Nowak also pointed to the role of the Government’s new body in making enforcement stick: ‘That’s why the Government’s new Fair Work Agency is so important. It is a chance to come down hard on rogue employers who refuse to do right by their staff.’
The Fair Work Agency: A New Enforcement Landscape
The Fair Work Agency (FWA) was launched on 7 April 2026, bringing together several enforcement functions under one roof. However, the transition is being managed in stages. According to Make UK, during 2026/27 minimum wage enforcement will continue to be delivered by HMRC (His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) under a contracting arrangement with the FWA, with the full transfer of minimum wage functions to the FWA scheduled for April 2027.
That means the current naming round sits at a transition point: the FWA exists and is taking shape, but the day-to-day enforcement machinery behind it still runs through HMRC for now. Employers looking for guidance in the meantime are directed to Acas, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, for support on payroll compliance ahead of that April 2027 handover.
