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Government Says B&Q and Five Guys Among Firms that Failed to Pay Minimum Wage
Employers were ordered to repay £4 million to more than 27,000 workers after enforcement action found widespread minimum wage breaches.
- On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Department for Business and Trade published a list of 658 employers found to have underpaid staff, affecting over 27,000 workers across the UK.
- The government regularly publishes these lists to hold bosses accountable and curb wage theft; since 2011, the initiative has issued more than £100 million in penalties to over 5,200 employers.
- DIY retailer B&Q reportedly failed to pay more than £456,000 to 4,530 workers, while fast food chain Five Guys owed over £54,000 to 3,699 staff, both citing "technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied."
- Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated "short-changing your staff isn't a shortcut to success," while Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden added that "underpaying your staff is illegal."
- This marks the first "naming round" since the Fair Work Agency was established in April under the Employment Rights Act, with plans to tackle unpaid holiday and sick pay breaches.
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Gazette-NewsReposted by 
Braintree & Witham Times
Braintree & Witham TimesLISTED - The Essex businesses named for not paying minimum wage
Six employers across Colchester, Clacton and Chelmsford, have been named by the Government for failing to pay workers the national minimum wage.
·Colchester, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources38
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution78% Center
Bias Distribution
- 78% of the sources are Center
78% Center
L 18%
C 78%
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