Government names and shames retailers for failing to pay minimum wage

HMRC investigations found that almost £5 million was owed to around 63,000 employees by these companies.

WHSmith was the worst offender, failing to pay £1 million to 17,607 workers due to a "genuine error" related to company uniform policy in 2019.

M&S failed to pay £578,000 to 5,363 staff due to an "unintentional technical issue" from four years ago, while Argos, now owned by Sainsbury's, owed £480,000 to 10,000 staff due to a "payroll error" identified in 2018.

Lloyds Pharmacy also failed to pay £900,000 to almost 8,000 employees.

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has recommended that firms who do not comply with the National Minimum Wage (NMW) should be named and shamed to raise awareness of underpayment and to protect workers earning the minimum wage.

The NMW has increased to £10.42 for people aged 23 and over, which is higher than the minimum wage in France, New Zealand, and South Korea.

Average earnings, excluding bonuses, have hit a record high of 7.2% in the 12 months to April, although below the rate of inflation, it represents an improvement for household spending power.

However, the UK has a long way to go on job standards, as a report published in the same month warned.

The general secretary of the TUC union has called for the minimum wage to be raised to £15 an hour to give workers a "decent standard of living."