Employers should prepare for more joined-up and proactive state enforcement of employment law in the UK, as the new agency gets up and running.
The Fair Work Agency (FWA) - the UK's new single labour market enforcement body - has now published its delivery plan for 2026 to 2027. The plan sets out how the FWA intends to operate in its foundational year and gives employers a sense of where enforcement activity is heading.
The FWA was established on 7 April 2026, bringing together the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, and the Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement into a single, intelligence-led enforcement agency. It will also take over enforcement of national minimum wage (NMW) and gain new powers to enforce holiday pay and statutory sick pay. As such, the FWA has been busy recruiting new management teams, to support its ability to take on all these powers.
The FWA’s stated purpose is threefold:
The FWA already has statutory responsibility for national minimum wage (NMW) enforcement, although HMRC is continuing to deliver this function under contract until full transfer in April 2027. At that point, approximately 500 HMRC employees will...
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