Companies with bases in Bucks including WHSmith and Lloyds Pharmacy have been 'named and shamed' by the government for paying employees thousands of pounds below the minimum wage.

Taxation authority Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed the names of UK-based firms who broke the law by paying employees below the national minimum wage between 2017 and 2019. 

High street retailer WHSmith, which has 15 branches in Buckinghamshire, was the worst offender, with HMRC forcing them to make a total payout of around £1 million to 17,607 workers. 

A spokesperson for the stationary shop said the short-changing of staff was a 'genuine error' resulting from a misinterpretation of uniform policies.

They said: "Following a review with HMRC in 2019, and in common with a number of retailers, it was brought to our attention that we had misinterpreted how the statutory wage regulations were applied to our uniform policy for staff working in our stores.

"This was a genuine error, and it was rectified immediately with all colleagues reimbursed in 2019."

Alongside WHSmith, other big-name brands including Marks & Spencer's, Sainsbury-owned retailer Argos and Lloyds Pharmacy were also found to have underpaid staff by thousands of pounds in the aforementioned two-year period. 

Representatives from M&S and Sainsbury's attributed to the failure to meet national wage standards to technical and payrolls errors that have since been rectified.

Lloyds Pharmacy was contacted for comment.

Investigations carried out by HMRC showed that nearly £5 millon was owed to around 63,000 UK workers from 'named and shamed' companies across the board. 

Kevin Hollinrake, minister for enterprise, markets and small business, told PA: "Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to shortchange hardworking staff.

"Most businesses do the right thing and look after their employees, but we're sending a clear message to the minorities who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you'll face the consequences."

Have you received retributions after being paid below minimum wage at a WHSmith, M&S or Lloyds in Buckinghamshire? If you'd like to share your experience, get in touch at eleanor.burleigh@newsquest.co.uk