Currently, the maximum penalty an employer can face is £5,000.

The new regulations are set to come into force next month and the Government has said it wants to see further legislation so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Anyone entitled to the national minimum wage should receive it. Paying anything less than this is unacceptable, illegal and will be punished by law. So we are bringing in tougher financial penalties to crackdown on those who do not play by the rules. The message is clear – if you break the law, you will face action.

“As well as higher penalties, we have made it easier to name and shame employers who fail to pay their workers what they are due. We are working with HM Revenue and Customs to investigate non-compliance and facilitate prosecutions in the most serious of cases. We also make sure that every complaint made to the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline is looked at.”