Amey has been named as the highest-profile construction firm to underpay workers in the Government’s latest national minimum wage crackdown after failing to pay £169,447 to 2,608 staff.

The infrastructure services contractor is the standout name in a list of around 30 firms, largely made up of smaller subcontractors and specialist trades, representing a small 7% slice of all firms named by the Government for breaches.

This is the first ‘naming round’ since the Chancellor’s Budget commitment to publish more frequently lists of offending firms in a bid to put more pressure on employers to keep to national minimum wage rules.

Across all sectors of the UK, 389 employers were named for underpaying nearly 60,000 workers, with more than £7.3m in wages owed and repaid. A further £12.6m in penalties were issued on top for offences that date back up to five years.

Within construction, Amey’s shortfall is among the largest and involves one of the biggest workforces, putting the spotlight firmly on a major public sector delivery partner.

The next largest construction-related case was West Midlands-based Charles Contract Services, which underpaid £153,240 to 177 workers, followed by a long tail of  SME firms owing far smaller sums.

The list includes electrical contractors, scaffolding firms and maintenance specialists, named manly for cases involving a few workers.

Industry sources say underpayments often stem from issues around travel time, deductions, and apprentice rates – particularly among subcontractors operating on tight margins.

But the inclusion of a tier one name like Amey will raise concerns among clients and contracting authorities, given the firm’s scale and extensive role across highways, defence and facilities management.

The naming round is the last before the launch of the Fair Work Agency on 7 April, which will bring enforcement under one roof and extend action into holiday and sick pay breaches.