The new single state enforcement body, the Fair Work Agency (FWA), is now up and running. It was established under the Employment Rights Act (ERA) 2025 and officially launched on 7 April 2026.
The FWA brought together a range of state enforcement functions under one roof and, over time, was expected to expand into new areas such as holiday pay, alongside existing areas including the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. Once fully operational, the agency was set to have extensive powers to inspect workplaces, investigate breaches, impose labour market enforcement orders and even bring Employment Tribunal proceedings on behalf of workers.
In this webinar, we explored how businesses should prepare for this more coordinated and potentially more robust enforcement regime.
We covered:
The FWA’s powers under the ERA 2025 – what they were and when they were expected to come into force.
The government's stated priorities for the new agency and the potential areas of risk for employers.
The practical implications for employers, including recommended preparatory steps.
