The U.K. government exposed over 200 companies, including high-profile businesses such as WHSmith, Argos, and Marks & Spencer, for not paying their employees the national minimum wage (NMW) between 2017 and 2019. Despite claims from many firms that breaches were unintentional and had been rectified, their fines totaled £7M ($8.9M) and more than 63,000 workers had to be reimbursed. The move could highlight a need for a better understanding and execution of wage regulations, particularly around wage deductions, apprenticeship rates, and pay increases in line with age. |