HMRC has issued an immediate and urgent warning to around 155,000 UK workers urging them to check their payslips right now.
The warning comes as the government department says thousands of people have been underpaid for the tax year 2020 to 2021.
They weren’t being paid the minimal amount required by law, HMRC has warned.
The National Minimum Wage starts at £4.30 an hour for an apprentice and £4.62 per hour for those aged under 18, rising to £6.56 for those aged 18 to 20, £8.36 for those aged 21 to 22 and £8.91 per hour for anyone aged 23 or over.
Steve Timewell, director individuals and small business compliance at HMRC, said: "The majority of UK employers pay their workers at least the National Minimum Wage, but this list shows some of the excuses provided to our enforcement officers by less scrupulous businesses.
"Being underpaid is no joke for workers, so we always apply the law and take action. Workers cannot be asked or told to sign-away their rights.
"We are making sure that workers are being paid what they are entitled to and, as the economy reopens, reminding employers of the rules and the help that is available to them."
HMRC did not name any of the employers or companies behind the excuses.
The Living Wage Foundation said its analysis of official figures showed that almost half of insecure, low-paid workers were away from work, mainly due to being furloughed, during the height of the Covid crisis, compared to fewer than a fifth of other workers.
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