B&Q and Five Guys named among hundreds of firms that underpaid staff below minimum wage

B&Q and the fast-food chain Five Guys are among more than 650 British businesses named by the government for paying staff below the national minimum wage, in the first "naming round" conducted by the new Fair Work Agency. The Department for Business and Trade confirmed that the employers have been ordered to repay £4m to affected workers and face penalties totalling £7m. The list includes shops, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers and two NHS trusts.

B&Q, the DIY retailer, underpaid 4,530 workers a total of more than £456,000, according to the government. The company said the shortfalls were unintentional and resulted from calculations involving geographical allowances, which are paid in addition to minimum hourly rates. All affected staff were paid in full in July 2025, it added. Five Guys, named as owing over £54,000 to 3,699 staff, attributed its underpayments to "technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied" and said it had worked closely with HMRC throughout the process, making all required payments to current and former employees.

The minimum wage currently stands at £12.71 for staff aged 21 and over, £10.85 for 18-to-20-year-olds, and £8 for under-18s and apprentices. The government did not specify the period over which the underpayments accumulated. The list, sorted by the total amount owed, places B&Q at the top, followed by Elysium Healthcare Holdings, which failed to pay £330,000 to 1,095 workers.

Two NHS trusts also feature prominently. St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group is listed as underpaying 75 workers by more than £123,000, while St George's University Hospitals in Wandsworth, London, is recorded as owing £77,000 to 55 employees. A spokesman for the two trusts contested the finding, stating that "no colleagues were underpaid" and that the issue was a technical compliance matter relating to salary sacrifice schemes—for example, towards childcare—which were not counted towards minimum wage calculations even though gross salaries exceeded the legal threshold. Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust said apprentices had been inadvertently underpaid between 2019 and 2023, as time spent in meetings, handovers and changing into uniform had not been accounted for. The trust said it had since changed its policies and practices. The other named trust has been contacted for comment.

Several nursing homes and multiple childcare providers also appear on the list. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government was determined to stamp out the practice of "short-changing your staff". "The best businesses know that looking after your workers isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do," he said. Kate Dearden, minister for the future of work, added: "Underpaying your staff is illegal, and we will not let workers foot the bill for their boss failing to follow the rules." She urged employers to check their payroll now and reach out to Acas if they needed support.

The naming round is the first since the Fair Work Agency was established in April under the Employment Rights Act. The agency, which enforces minimum wage laws, will soon also tackle practices that deny workers 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". Most employers want to do the right thing, he added, but those who fall short should expect robust enforcement to protect workers and maintain a fair playing field for responsible businesses.