The HR Podcast · 2026-09-15 · 47 min
If an enforcement officer knocked on your door tomorrow, would you know what they'd be checking? The Fair Work Agency launched in April, bringing four enforcement bodies under one roof. In this episode, CEO Lisa Pinney OBE explains Fair Work Agency compliance, from National Minimum Wage to holiday pay, how enforcement actually decides who to visit, and what a risk-based approach to employment law compliance UK looks like in practice. Key Takeaways Nearly 400,000 employees were paid less than minimum wage in 2024, and 900,000 workers a year have holiday pay withheld, worth around £2bn - much of it unintentional. The Fair Work Agency merges four bodies: the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, employment agency compliance, the Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, and National Minimum Wage compliance. Fair Work Agency enforcement is risk-based and intelligence-led, not random - businesses in a targeted area are often written to first, giving them a chance to self-correct. A Working Lives survey found 14% of workers experienced at least one clear legal violation over two years, across sectors and geographies.
