B&Q and Five Guys among firms which paid staff below minimum wage - BBC News BBC Homepage Skip to content Accessibility Help Your account Home News Sport Earth Reel Worklife Travel Culture Future Music TV Weather Sounds More menu More menu Search BBC Home News Sport Earth Reel Worklife Travel Culture Future Music TV Weather Sounds Close menu BBC News Menu Home Climate World UK Business Tech Science Entertainment & Arts Health In Pictures More BBC Verify Newsbeat Business New Tech Economy Technology of Business Artificial Intelligence Africa Business Paths to Success B&Q and Five Guys among firms that paid staff below minimum wage Image source, Getty Images By Emer Moreau Business reporter Published 3 September 2026 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 period of underpayments covered by the list varies depending on the employer, but overall spans from 2013 to 2025. Minimum wage is £12.71 for staff aged 21 and over. For 18 to 20 year olds the rate is £10.85, and for under 18s and apprentices it is £8. B&Q underpaid 4,530 workers a total of more than £456,000, according to the government. B&Q said in response: "The shortfalls in payments were unintentional. They relate to calculations involving geographical allowances which are paid in addition to minimum hourly rates. All affected colleagues were quickly paid in full in J