British Gas, EG Group, and Holland & Barrett Among Companies Named for Underpaying Thousands of Workers
British Gas owner Centrica, EG Group, and health retailer Holland & Barrett are among nearly 500 companies named by the UK government for failing to pay staff the legal minimum wage.
Following investigations carried out between 2018 and 2023, the Department for Business and Trade revealed that around 42,000 workers were underpaid, with employers now forced to repay over £10 million and hit with additional fines. The violations stretch back years in some cases.
EG Group, best known for operating petrol stations and Starbucks franchises, topped the government’s latest list, having short-changed 3,317 workers by more than £825,000. The company, co-founded by billionaire Issa brothers, said: “These historic payroll issues that took place between 2015 and 2019 have been fully rectified. All affected employees were subsequently reimbursed in full in agreement with HMRC.”
Centrica, which owns British Gas, came eighth, underpaying 356 staff by roughly £168,000. The company blamed “historic technical errors” linked to salary sacrifice schemes and training bonds, not employees' actual take-home pay. A spokesperson added: “This issue relates to a small number of historic technical errors which was put right as soon as it was identified.”
Meanwhile, Holland & Barrett underpaid more than 2,500 workers a total of £153,079. The retailer pointed to “legacy practices” such as requiring specific footwear, unpaid training at home, and preparation time before shifts at its Burton site. The company says the issue was corrected in 2022 and it now pays store staff about 5% above the National Living Wage.
Though all three companies stressed the issues were in the past and have been addressed, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the government was cracking down on those who fail to follow the rules. “Every worker deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,” he said. “This government will not tolerate rogue employers who short-change their staff.”
The current National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.21 per hour, with lower rates for younger employees and apprentices.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “There’s no excuse for workers being cheated out of money they’re owed. It’s bad for workers, families and the economy.”
While companies like Centrica emphasized their support for fair pay and strong union representation, the government’s naming and shaming campaign shows that even large, well-known employers aren’t immune to payroll problems — and that the consequences can linger years after the fact.
