Publication of the Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2025-26

Earlier this week the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (DLME) published their Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2025/26.

This is an important year as we move from enforcement being undertaken by the three enforcement bodies: HMRC National Minimum Wage (HMRC-NMW), Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS), to the creation of the Fair Work Agency (FWA).

The strategy outlines four key recommendations to the Department for Business and Trade, which is overseeing the creation of the FWA. It also assesses the current scale and nature of labour exploitation, with recommendations for enforcement in two areas: hand car washes and construction.

The strategy notes that there is still work outstanding from the 2024/25 Strategy which should be completed before FWA gets underway.

For more information, visit: GOV.UK - Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2025 to 2026