Minimum Wage Violations Since 2020
Over 1,200 companies have been publicly named and shamed by HMRC and the Department for Business and Trade.
These firms collectively underpaid more than £25 million to workers between 2015 and 2023.
More than 230,000 workers were affected across sectors like retail, hospitality, logistics, and care work.
Fines of up to 200% of the underpayment (capped at £20,000 per worker) were imposed.
Notable Companies Named
Some high-profile firms include:
Amazon
Greggs
JD Wetherspoon
Lidl
Pizza Express
Southern Co-op (owed £126,739 to 2,300 workers due to uniform and salary sacrifice deductions)
Boots, Harrods, EasyJet, and Hamleys were also cited in earlier rounds
Common Violations
Deducting pay for uniforms or expenses
Failing to pay for all hours worked (e.g. overtime or training)
Misclassifying apprentices or interns
Payroll errors that drop wages below legal thresholds
As of June 2025, the UK government has named 518 companies for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or National Living Wage (NLW), affecting nearly 60,000 workers and resulting in £7.4 million in underpayments.
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