Hundreds of Employers Exposed for Underpaying Workers

The Government has released its latest list of companies that failed to pay employees the National Minimum Wage, revealing that 491 employers short-changed around 42,000 workers across the UK.

According to the figures, the named employers have been ordered to repay a total of £6 million in unpaid wages and have received fines worth £10.2 million. The amounts owed to staff varied dramatically, with one employer owing over £824,000 to more than 3,000 workers, while another owed just £245 to a single employee.

Investigations found that the most frequent causes of underpayment included not paying apprentices the correct rate, failing to implement the updated minimum wage, and not compensating employees for all the hours they worked.

In a move to strengthen workers’ rights, the Government confirmed that a new Fair Work Agency will be launched in April 2026 under the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill. The agency will take responsibility for enforcing fair pay and addressing cases where employers fail to provide statutory holiday or sick pay.

Officials said the new system aims to simplify enforcement and ensure that all workers receive the pay and protections they are entitled to.