The UK government has released a list of more than 600 employers. These companies did not pay their workers the legal minimum wage. The government ordered these businesses to pay £4 million back to the workers. Also, these companies must pay £7 million in penalties. This action helps to protect the money that workers earn.
Some famous companies are on the list. These are the shop B&Q and the restaurant Five Guys. B&Q did not pay 4,530 workers the correct amount. The company owes more than £456,000 to these workers. B&Q said this was a mistake. They said the error happened because of difficult calculations about different areas.
Five Guys also did not pay the correct wages. The company owes over £54,000 to 3,699 staff members. Five Guys said they had technical problems with their payment systems. This is a common problem for many large companies.
In the UK, the minimum wage changes with age. The minimum wage is £12.71 for people aged 21 and over. For people aged 18 to 20, the rate is £10.85. For people under 18 and apprentices, the rate is £8. If companies do not pay these amounts, they must pay fines.
The Fair Work Agency started in April to check these rules. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government wants to stop companies from taking money from workers. The government wants to make sure every worker receives all their money. This list shows that companies must follow the law or they will face big costs.