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ARTICLE · 25 SEPTEMBER 2026

The Fair Work Agency's First Delivery Plan

Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
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Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin

Joint managing partners: Jo Farmer, Richard Miskella International offices: Dublin, Hong Kong...

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The UK's new Fair Work Agency has published its delivery plan for 2026-2027, signaling a shift toward more integrated and proactive enforcement of employment law. With new powers to enforce holiday pay, statutory sick pay, and national minimum wage violations, alongside advanced data-scraping capabilities and AI-driven case management, employers face heightened scrutiny across multiple compliance areas.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Anna Sella
Anna Sella
Emma Grossmith
Emma Grossmith
Gemma Taylor
Gemma Taylor
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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.

What is the Fair Work Agency?

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.

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