WH Smith, M&S and Argos failed to pay minimum wage

More than 200 firms – including WH Smiths, Marks & Spencer and Argos have been named for failing to pay the minimum wage and could face penalties of nearly £7m, and must reimburse workers for breaches dating back to over a decade. 

WH Smith, Marks & Spencer and Argos all said the breaches were unintentional and had been swiftly remedied.

It’s not been revealed how much they paid in fines, but the government said penalties amounted to up to 200% of the arrears owed. 

“Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working staff,” said Kevin Hollinrake, minister for enterprise, markets and small business.

The National Living Wage and Minimum Wage rose by 9.7% this April.