B&Q and Five Guys among firms which paid staff below minimum wage
The UK government has named over 600 businesses, including B&Q and Five Guys, for failing to pay staff the legal minimum wage. The companies involved have been ordered to pay back wages and face significant financial penalties.
Why it matters
This highlights ongoing issues with labor law compliance and the enforcement of fair wage standards in the UK economy.
Image source, Getty Images By Emer Moreau Business reporter Published 3 September 2026, 00:08 BST 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.
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