Corporate report

Fair Work Agency delivery plan 2026 to 2027

Updated 21 August 2026

Foreword

We are delighted to share with you our delivery plan for 2026 to 2027, which is year 1 of the new Fair Work Agency (FWA).

This is a foundational year with much to do to prepare for future expansion in scale and responsibilities. But our work is too important to stop or slow, so the plan shows how we’ll continue to deliver for workers and employers while building and innovating.​

We are grateful to all the stakeholders, partners and employers who have already met with us and contributed to our thinking. In particular, we have the active and knowledgeable input of our tripartite Advisory Board, providing vital insight, connection and accountability. Working with the Board and colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), we are already planning for our 3-year Enforcement Strategy, which will be published for April 2027.​

We see the FWA as the centre of a broad and diverse ecosystem of compliance and we look forward to strengthening relations across that at our first Fair Work Agency Assembly, in October​

Building any new organisation, especially from very different founding bodies, is bound to have its challenges and bumps in the road, but we are incredibly grateful to our passionate FWA colleagues, who are showing every day how they’re getting behind the potential of the agency. Recruiting new colleagues has been a priority and we’re excited at the talent and commitment we’re already bringing into the organisation.​

As a front line delivery body, it’s essential that we work closely with local and national partners, combined authorities and devolved administrations to ensure our work is local, relevant, joined up and accountable. We’re already exploring local pilots and opportunities, and we have a local presence in communities across the UK, which will be expanded as the FWA develops.​

We look forward to welcoming our National Minimum Wage (NMW) colleagues to the FWA in April and to working together to streamline that change as much as possible. It’s already exciting to see the work across the organisation (including with NMW colleagues), which is driving effectiveness, using skills and experience, and helping to drive better outcomes.​

As we develop our future strategy, we’re informed by 5 step changes that we believe the FWA can bring to labour market compliance and enforcement.

These are:​

1. Identity. We’ll use the Fair Work Agency brand to increase recognition, referrals and reports. We’ll try new ways to ensure workers and employers know of our work and how we can help them.​
2. Impact. We’ll target our resources to maximise our impact, be open about our priorities and accountable for our performance.​
3. Intelligence, Information and Insight. We’ll combine the insights of our predecessors and strengthen relationships with trade unions, employer associations and academics. We’ll deepen our sector-level understanding in high-risk sectors such as social care and construction​.
4. Innovation. We’ll maximise the potential of technology, including developing a digital front door and user friendly tools to support workers and employers.​
5. Influence. We’ll help the public understand the risks of non-compliance, collaborate with local and national partners, and use our operational insight to influence, add value and make a difference.​

We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made so far, determined to build on this by listening and learning as we develop and focus on our vision to make the FWA one of the most effective compliance and enforcement agencies in the world for the benefit of workers and businesses across the UK.​

Matthew Taylor, Chair 

Lisa Pinney, Chief Executive​

About the Fair Work Agency

The creation of the Fair Work Agency marked an important step in strengthening the UK’s approach to labour market enforcement. By bringing together expertise, powers and operational experience from across existing organisations, The FWA has the opportunity to provide a clearer, more coherent and more effective service for workers, businesses and the wider labour market, delivering across the UK with local and national partners.​

Our purpose is straightforward. We will:​

• help workers and those impacted by labour exploitation understand and access their rights and support, and be able to raise their concerns with confidence​
• work with partners and employers to help make compliance simpler and support business to understand and act on their obligations​
• take tough action against rogue employers who exploit workers or undercut legitimate business ​

A single, intelligence-led enforcement agency​

The FWA brings together the UK’s labour market enforcement expertise, powers and operational experience into 1 coherent body.​

We’ll move from fragmented enforcement​ to joined-up impact, to create a clearer route for workers, a simpler route for responsible employers, and stronger action against serious non-compliance.​

The building blocks of the Fair Work Agency

The FWA brings together the work of the:

• Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate
• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority
• Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.

National Minimum Wage (NMW) in year 1​

The FWA has statutory responsibility for NMW enforcement. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) delivers it under contract before full transfer from April 2027.

Changes for the system​

A single body designed to make enforcement more joined-up, intelligence-led and effective at tackling exploitation and abuse.​

Ministerial priorities​

The FWA Strategic Steer​ set out 5 priorities for its first year.

These are:

1. Reduce burdens. Simplify compliance, guidance, tools and support for workers and businesses​.
2. Strengthen data. Build joined-up intelligence so enforcement is risk-based and targeted​.
3. Increase awareness. Improve public identity, digital access, partnerships and stakeholder engagement​.
4. Provide leadership. Share evidence and insight to shape future labour market enforcement practice​.
5. Prepare for 2027. Enable NMW transfer, holiday pay readiness and the longer-term strategy​.

This delivery plan translates the Ministerial Strategic Steer into a year 1 programme for the FWA, balancing immediate delivery with longer-term development.​

Our core responsibilities​

For workers​

To ensure they receive at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, fair treatment by employment agencies, and protection from exploitation and abuse.​

For businesses and labour providers​

To give guidance on the employment agency Conduct Regulations 2003, the licensing standards for gangmasters, and to ensure proportionate regulation across Great Britain and the UK supply chain.​

Year 1 vision and approach​

1. Deliver for those who need us. We’ll maintain operational performance and make progress against the 3 areas of our purpose while delivering improvements as a single enforcement body, working with partners and taking opportunities to increase our reach and impact.​

2. Build the​ organisation​. We’ll develop the FWA, establish our mission, values and culture, and build the key foundations and capability at the scale needed to integrate NMW colleagues and prepare for new duties ready for 2027 and beyond. ​​

3. Innovate our​ approaches​. We’ll begin to improve systems and ways of working, build better digital and AI solutions, and encourage a mindset of continuous improvement to make our work more efficient for colleagues, and simplify and improve guidance, tools and systems for our customers, workers and businesses. ​

These pillars link to the key priorities of the April 2026 Strategic Steer – reduce burdens, strengthen data, increase awareness, ​provide leadership and prepare for 2027 and beyond.

Together, they form a joined-up programme of work that enables the FWA to operate effectively and realise its ambitions​.

1. Deliver for those who need us

We’ll maintain operational performance and make progress against the 3 areas of our purpose while delivering improvements as a single enforcement body, working with partners and taking opportunities to increase our reach and impact.​

Strategic Steer expectations​	2026 to 2027 measures​
Maintain at least the level of operational performance and meet the same performance metrics, including NMW under contract.​	Deliver the metrics agreed with BIST, which reflect those used by founding organisations and NMW in 2025 to 2026.​
Demonstrate strong engagement with stake holders and partners, including hosting the first FWA Assembly​	Demonstrate that stakeholder approaches from founding organisations have been integrated, relationships strengthened and effective partnerships are in place to support outcome delivery across the UK.​ Host our first FWA Assembly, in October 2026, with clear outcomes and learning to inform future Assemblies and wider engagement.​ Establish relationships with relevant UK and international partners and  enforcement bodies, and demonstrate learning identified and embedded.​ Build effective relationships with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Governments, Combined Authorities and other UK Government Departments that help us deliver our work in place effectively.​
Clear guidance on our current roles and responsibilities, and clear sign posting and referrals to others where appropriate​.	Demonstrate improvements to website guidance and contact centre approach.​ Establish and report on customer standards, complaints and commendations.​ Show benefits of close working with Acas and other partners, including improved sign posting, referrals and ways of working.​ Demonstrate improved reach and engagement through social media and media to ensure more people are aware of our work in their local area.
Maximise new powers and responsibilities enabled on Day 1, including new Fraud Act powers​.	Work with legal and enforcement partners to understand Fraud Act evidential standards and build a shared view of how these and other new powers can be used most effectively.​ Demonstrate our action through metrics and case studies.​ Develop a new, integrated approach for legal and prosecution services for April 2027 and beyond.​

2. Build the organisation

We’ll develop the FWA, establish our mission, values and culture, and build the key foundations and capability at the scale needed to integrate NMW colleagues and prepare for new duties ready for 2027 and beyond. ​​

Strategic Steer expectations ​	2026 to 2027 measures​
Build the Fair Work Agency – developing our mission, purpose and values, culture and behaviours, and what will help us be a truly great place to work alongside recruitment, business systems and controls, and establishing our Advisory Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC).​	Develop and create the FWA’s mission, values and culture with our FWA and NMW colleagues, and build effective internal communications and 2-way engagement with our people to create shared purpose and delivery. Our colleagues will feel more connected with the organisation and we’ll demonstrate this with surveys and feedback.​ Recruit the capability and skills we need to deliver effectively during 2026 to 2027 and ready for 2027 and beyond. We’ll demonstrate a significantly reduced vacancy rate for year 1 and clear forward resourcing plans for the future FWA (including NMW).​ Build the governance, systems, processes and controls needed for the scale the FWA will be with a clear forward development plan. Demonstrate progress and learning through audit and improved effectiveness.​ Onboard and establish our Advisory Board and ARAC, to provide oversight and assurance, and enable the Advisory Board to support thought leadership and improved future approaches to our work.​
Develop our 2027 to 2028 Business Plan and 3 year Enforcement Strategy (2027-2030) for April 2027. This includes baselining, reviewing and refining our metrics.​	Work with colleagues, partners and stakeholders to develop and publish our 2027-2030 Enforcement Strategy for April 2027. The Strategy will include refined and more outcome focused corporate metrics for this period.​ Publish our 2027 to 2028 Business Plan.​
Work with HMRC and BIST to integrate NMW colleagues into the FWA from April 2027​.	Ensure an effective transfer and integration of NMW colleagues to the FWA. This includes developing and implementing our future operating model​; effectively transferring around 500 colleagues to the FWA and ensuring they can continue their essential work​; securing real-time access to relevant HMRC systems; transitioning business processes, guidance and supporting products​; demonstrating where wider integration is already happening; develop a new estates and locations plan that maximises our engagement and local delivery in place across the UK – this will enable us to recruit, develop and retain our future workforce for effective engagement, delivery and enforcement.​
Readiness for new powers and remit from April 2027 (holiday pay) and support to BIST and other government departments in developing future opportunities​.	Ready to communicate new enforcement approach, guidance and tools to support holiday pay compliance and processes in place to begin enforcement during 2027.​ Work with BIST, other UK government departments and devolved administrations as needed to use frontline experience to inform policy thinking, and develop and operationalise further new duties and opportunities.​

3. Innovate our approaches

We’ll begin to improve systems and ways of working, build better digital and AI solutions, and encourage a mindset of continuous improvement to make our work more efficient for colleagues, and simplify and improve guidance, tools and systems for our customers, workers and businesses. ​

Strategic Steer expectations ​	2026 to 2027 measures​
Demonstrate improvements and quick wins of being the Fair Work Agency (delivery, innovation, digital), including simpler, smarter approaches, tools and guidance that simplify compliance and reduce burdens, and increase our reach.	Deliver simpler tools, smarter processes and clearer guidance that make compliance easier and improve reach. This will include an online payslip explainer, a holiday pay calculator, and standardising, systemising and automating licensing inspection outcome reports to improve consistency and reduce cycle time.
Improve our information, data, intelligence and ability to maximise outcomes and drive compliance through effective regulation and enforcement.	Working with partners to develop our data, tech and AI capabilities to maximise our delivery. This will include developing open-source data scraping capability to deepen the FWA’s data and intelligence capability, designing and beginning procurement for a unified case management system with integrated AI capability to manage case flow, and maximising effectiveness and improving access to data and management information across the organisation.
Provide thought leadership to inform better decision making, and enable discussion and debate across the sector.	Our Chair and Advisory Board will provide advice and thought leadership to the FWA to help improve our effectiveness, and to BIST to improve policy thinking and development. We’ll work in partnership with BIST, other UK government departments and devolved administrations as needed to use frontline experience to inform policy thinking, and develop and operationalise further new duties and opportunities. We’ll demonstrate how the FWA Assembly and wider engagement activity support insight sharing and thought leadership across the sector, and inform our approach and decision making.

Looking ahead

Year 1 is the foundation for the longer-term development of the Fair Work Agency.

This delivery plan will:

• support the development of the 2027 to 2028 business planning cycle
• inform the 3-year enforcement strategy
• identify areas for further development beyond year 1

Beyond year 1

NMW colleagues will join the FWA in April 2027. The government is also looking to expand our remit with a range of new duties under consideration. Holiday pay enforcement is expected to begin in 2027.