B&Q and Five Guys have been named among 658 employers that failed to pay the minimum wage, in enforcement action that returned around £4 million to more than 27,000 workers.
Employers were also issued £7 million in penalties, according to the government figures reported by ITV News on 3 September 2026. The money repaid to staff is separate from those penalties.
Both B&Q and Five Guys say they have paid the affected workers. For anyone checking their own wages, the useful lesson is that a headline hourly rate can meet the legal minimum while deductions or uncounted working time still leave pay short.
What B&Q and Five Guys underpaid
The government’s list records £456,934.72 owed to 4,530 B&Q workers and £54,642.47 owed to 3,699 Five Guys workers. These are totals across the affected employees, not amounts due to each person.
In its response reported by the BBC, B&Q said the shortfalls were unintentional and related to calculations involving geographical allowances paid on top of minimum hourly rates. It said affected colleagues were paid in full in July 2025.
Five Guys attributed its shortfalls to differences in how payroll regulations were applied, identified during an HMRC review. It said all required payments had been made to affected current and former employees.
The wider list covers employers including retailers, restaurants, care providers, nurseries and NHS trusts. The BBC reports that the government did not specify an overall period for the underpayments, so the new naming announcement should not be read as showing that all the shortfalls happened recently.
Why your hourly rate may not tell the full story
The government’s Check Your Pay guidance identifies deductions for workwear or tools, unpaid overtime and counting tips towards minimum pay among common mistakes. These are general examples, rather than explanations of what happened at every employer on this list.
Working time matters too. GOV.UK says the calculation includes training and travel between work assignments. Ordinary travel between home and work, and rest breaks that are taken, do not count. Its working-time guidance also explains that minimum-wage rules apply to eligible salaried workers, not just people paid by the hour.
The minimum wage rates to check against
The UK hourly minimums from 1 April 2026 are:
- Age 21 and over: £12.71.
- Age 18 to 20: £10.85.
- Under 18, at least school leaving age: £8.
- Qualifying apprentices: £8.
The apprentice rate applies to those under 19, or aged 19 and over in their first apprenticeship year. Apprentices aged 19 or over who have completed that first year must receive at least the rate for their age.
These are the current rates. If you are checking older pay, use the rate and age band that applied at the time.
What to do if you think your pay is short
Compare your payslips with your record of hours worked and any work-related deductions. The GOV.UK minimum wage calculator can help you check your pay and possible underpayments from the previous year.
Official guidance suggests raising the issue with your employer first. If that does not resolve it, you can ask in writing to see your payment records. Employers must repay minimum-wage arrears they owe.
You can also report a minimum-wage concern to HMRC, including about a former employer. The form lets you ask HMRC not to disclose who made the complaint. HMRC enforces the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency.
If you have already started tribunal action over the same minimum-wage issue, the guidance says HMRC cannot take the complaint forward. The confidential Acas helpline can help with payment disputes and difficulties using the complaint form.