16 July 2019

The government is consulting on new proposals for a single body to enforce some areas of employment law.

Such an agency would combine the remits of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS), Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and HMRC National Minimum Wage team (HMRC-NMW). In addition, it would extend statutory enforcement efforts to cover compliance with holiday pay regulations and to hold umbrella companies working through employment agencies to account.

While the government's proposals touch upon some of the concerns the Institute of Employment Rights discusses in its Manifesto for Labour Law – such as the creation of an enforcement body and a duty on supply chain heads for certain employment law breaches by contractors and suppliers – it falls far short of our recommendations.

The authors of the Manifesto – 26 leading lawyers and academics – propose the creation of an independent labour inspectorate to identify employment law breaches and enforce the rules when it comes to both the entire suite of statutory workers' rights and agreements made collectively.