Hundreds of employers handed penalties for illegally underpaying workers

389 employers from across the UK named for failing to pay workers the minimum wage to tens of thousands of workers.

23 Mar 2026| News

Thousands of workers who have been denied over £7.3 million in pay by their employers have been directly repaid as part of latest Government crackdown on those who fail to pay the minimum wage.

The findings come alongside enforcement action against businesses failing to pay their staff the legal National Minimum Wage.

New figures show a total of around £12.6 million in penalties have been issued to 389 employers, with these fines coming on top of the repaid wages.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said:

The vast majority of businesses in this country do the right thing by paying their staff properly and playing by the rules. It’s not fair on them when others are able to get ahead by not paying the wages their workers are owed.

A good employer doesn’t build their business on the back of unpaid wages, and I look forward to working with the new Fair Work Agency to ensure its powers are used to crack down on those who think the rules don’t apply to them.

Data published on the 19th March 2026 reveals that businesses across sectors including social care, sports and retail, were among those failing to comply with minimum wage laws.

Employers who have been fined for underpaying their workers include:

1. ISS Mediclean Limited, Weybridge, KT13, failed to pay £1,506,959.68 to 6,580 workers.

2. ISS Facility Services Limited, Weybridge, KT13, failed to pay £754,760.14 to 5,378 workers.

3. Browns Manufacturing Limited, Sanquhar, DG4, failed to pay £708,731.99 to 1,654 workers.

4. Busy Bees Nurseries Limited, Burntwood, WS7, failed to pay £485,374.05 to 9,056 workers.

5. Bupa Care Services Limited, City of London, EC2R, failed to pay £441,439.54 to 8,810 workers.

6. Hays Travel Limited, Sunderland, SR1, failed to pay £364,103.51 to 2,463 workers.

7. Amey Services Limited, Oxford, OX4, failed to pay £169,447.02 to 2,608 workers.

8. Charles Contract Services Ltd, Knowle, B93, failed to pay £153,240.67 to 177 workers.

9. Costa Limited, High Wycombe, HP10, failed to pay £149,851.25 to 2,759 workers.

10. Dovecote Park Limited, Pontefract, WF8, failed to pay £132,314.56 to 444 workers.

11. Tinysaurus Nurseries Ltd, Rushden, NN10, failed to pay £129,388.76 to 85 workers.

12. Norwich City Football Club PLC, Norwich, NR1, failed to pay £99,021.76 to 1,152 workers.

13. Just Go Travel Limited, Wrexham, LL11, failed to pay £97,660.24 to 271 workers.

14. Hovis Limited, High Wycombe, HP12, failed to pay £84,676.19 to 119 workers.

15. Lairds Foods Limited, Wigan, WN3, failed to pay £78,768.89 to 242 workers.

The full list can be accessed here.

This is the first ‘naming round’ since the Chancellor’s Budget commitment to publish more frequently.

Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said:

Nobody should finish a week’s work and find they’ve been paid less than they’ve earned. I believe in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

That’s why we’re cracking down on employers who underpay. We’re making sure workers get the hard earned pay they deserve.

I encourage every employer to check their payroll to ensure they don’t get caught out.

This is also the final naming round before the Fair Work Agency begins its work on 7 April, a brand-new enforcement body formed through the recently passed Employment Rights Act to bring workers’ rights enforcement under one roof for the first time.