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Employment United Kingdom For businesses

National Minimum Wage Compliance Check

Check whether your pay practices meet National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rules.

Start free check 9 questions · 6 minutes · No signup

Did you know? The numbers behind this check.

  • HMRC, with public 'naming' for breachesEnforcement
  • 200% of underpaymentMax penalty
  • Deductions for uniform/toolsCommon trap
  • Age and apprentice statusRates vary by

Why this matters.

National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) compliance sounds simple — pay at least the legal hourly rate — but HMRC enforcement data consistently shows that many underpayments happen accidentally, through technicalities employers don’t realise apply. Common traps include: deducting the cost of uniforms or tools from pay that brings someone below minimum wage, not paying for time spent travelling between appointments (common for care workers, cleaners, tradespeople), unpaid trial shifts, and salaried staff working unpaid extra hours that reduce their effective hourly rate below the minimum.

HMRC can issue penalties of up to 200% of the underpayment (capped per worker), name and shame employers publicly, and require repayment of arrears going back years. Even well-intentioned employers have ended up on the government’s published list of minimum wage offenders for issues like deducting for staff meals or not paying for mandatory training time. Reviewing your pay structure against these common traps is one of the highest-value compliance checks for any business with hourly or salaried staff near the minimum wage threshold.

Have these to hand.

  • Current pay rates for all staff
  • Details of any deductions made from pay (uniforms, tools, accommodation, meals)
  • Information on unpaid time (training, travel between sites, trial shifts)
  • Ages of staff (NMW/NLW rates vary by age band)

What you’ll get.

  • 1A score out of 100Where you stand today, at a glance.
  • 2Findings ranked by riskWhat could cost you, highest risk first.
  • 3A plan with timeframesWhat to fix first and by when.

This check reviews your pay practices against the common causes of accidental National Minimum Wage underpayment.

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General guidance only, not legal advice. Consult a qualified solicitor or adviser in your jurisdiction for specific issues.