Image source, Getty Images By Emer Moreau Business reporter Published 3 hours ago DIY store B&Q and the fast food chain Five Guys are among hundreds of UK businesses named by the government for paying staff below the minimum wage. More than 600 employers were ordered to pay affected workers the outstanding wages, with 4m returned to workers, according to the Department for Business and Trade. The firms have also been issued penalties worth 7m. B&Q said the underpayments were unintentional and the result of calculations involving geographical allowances, while Five Guys blamed "technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied". The list of 658 businesses includes shops, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers and a handful of NHS trusts. The government did not say over what time period the underpayments spanned. Minimum wage is 12.71 for staff aged 21 and over. For 18 to 20 year olds the rate is 10.85, and for under 18s and apprentices it is 8. 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, named in the list as owing over 54,000 to 3,699 staff, said "technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied" led to its underpayments, which were identified in a review by the HMRC, the UK's revenue and tax authority. "We worked closely and transparently with HMRC throughout the process and have made all required payments to affected current and former employees," the company said. St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group failed to pay over 123,000 to 75 workers, according to the list, which also says St George's University Hospitals in Wandsworth, London, underpaid 55 workers. A spokesman 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," he said. A spokesperson said apprentices at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust were inadvertently underpaid between 2019 and 2023. They said while their pay met the requirements for their contracted hours, meetings, handovers and time spent changing into uniform hadn't been accounted for, adding the trust has since changed policies and practices. The other trust named has been contacted for comment. There were also several nursing homes on the list, and multiple childcare providers. 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, said: "Underpaying your staff is illegal, and we will not...
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