In April 2026, the UK will see the launch of a new agency called the Fair Work Agency (FWA), designed to implement workers’ rights, and will mark a fundamental shift in the enforcement of employment rights. This forms part of the changes being implemented by the Employment Rights Act 2025.
The FWA will be an Executive Agency of the Department for Business and Trade. The Employment Rights Act 2025, gives the Secretary of State a series of functions to enforce employment rights, including the appointment of enforcement officers.
Matthew Taylor – a former adviser to Tony Blair – will head the new FWA, which will replace the functions of existing bodies. It will absorb their responsibilities in enforcing employment rights, for example, HM Revenue and Customs, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.
The aim of the FWA is to improve workplace relations, which in place, it is hoped will benefit the British economy, and there will also be an access line to help employers navigate the Employment Rights Act 2025 and to ensure compliance.
The FWA will also sit side by side with ACAS, but will have greater enforcement powers as set out below. It will be funded by the Government, and only time will tell whether it will be adequately funded and resourced.
In terms of its functions, the FWA will be able to enforce National Minimum...
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