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There is also the issue that big companies are usually watched more and have regulatory teams making sure they follow rules. I believe in the UK that small businesses are far worse for minimum wage violations.

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Small businesses are far worse at all regulatory compliance, because unlike big businesses they can’t afford a compliance department. I see this as more a problem with excessive regulation than small businesses, but reasonable minds can differ.

And yes I’m a strong proponent of worker’s rights, it just sucks that being a small employer is a kafkaesque nightmare. I know one who was recently fined for paying his employees too much because they happened to be migrant workers.

Small businesses usually can't afford the army of lawyers and lobbyists necessary to make the regulations that favour their company. Meanwhile their bigger competitors more often do. All in all, more regulation often favour bigger players simply because smaller players aren't able to comply for a variety of reasons, usually due to economics at scale, but also because they simply don't have access to, or can't afford proper legal advice. Being fined out of the blue, and not knowing why, is often a result of this, for example, though you can always argue that not practising due diligence may lead to criminal negligence or other such liabilities. There is a way to fight that, though, and that is with business associations and interest groups.

I have a few friends that work no-skill jobs and the stories they tell me...

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