The Department for Business and Trade’s October 2025 roundup names almost 500 employers fined for underpaying staff, with household names including Centrica, EG Group and Holland & Barrett appearing on the list; unions say the scale underlines the need for stronger enforcement and worker representation.
The DBT’s publication lists 491 employers fined for failing to pay the national minimum wage, with fines totalling around £10.2 million and roughly £6 million repaid to workers; about 42,000 workers were reimbursed as part of the enforcement round.
Household names and the figures behind them
- EG Group (Euro Garages) tops the list by numbers affected, having underpaid 3,317 workers by approximately £824,000 during an earlier payroll period, a figure the company says has been rectified.
- Centrica, owner of British Gas, was disclosed as having underpaid 1,583 workers by around £167,814.69.
- Holland & Barrett is recorded as having underpaid 2,551 workers by about £153,079; the retailer has described the issue as historical and says arrears were settled in earlier years.
Other large groups named include Genting Casinos, which appeared in local reporting with arrears totalling in the hundreds of thousands.
Pat Harrington of Solidarity union said: “This year’s list is a reminder that underpayment is not confined to the smallest employers; major firms with professional payroll teams still fail their staff. Naming them is necessary, but it must be paired with rigorous follow-up and accessible routes for workers to secure redress. Firms that underpay should be required to publish corrective action plans and face stronger sanctions if systemic failures are found.”
Ministers say the naming scheme protects compliant businesses and gives workers clarity on where enforcement has succeeded; campaigners argue the public list should be accompanied by a requirement for named employers to publish detailed remediation steps and timelines to rebuild trust. The government also signals expanded enforcement powers under the new Fair Work Agency planned as part of the wider employment reforms.
The DBT’s publication provides the full register of employers and the sums involved; workers who suspect they have been underpaid are advised to check the government guidance on next steps.
Full government list and press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/6-million-repaid-to-workers-as-government-cracks-down-on-employers-underpaying-their-staff.
By Maria Camara