TO BE PUBLISHED November 2026
Starting from:
£99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will consider next steps for labour market enforcement following establishment of the Fair Work Agency and wider implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025. Areas for discussion include enforcement and compliance frameworks, delivery of the FWA, regulation of agency work and umbrella companies, and implications of employment rights reforms.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss priorities for labour market enforcement as the Fair Work Agency begins operating and assumes responsibility for a wider range of functions and powers. Discussion will consider the development of its operating model, approaches to balancing compliance support with investigation and sanctions, and implications of bringing together enforcement responsibilities previously exercised across multiple bodies.
Regulatory framework, accountability & strengthening worker protections
Sessions will look at the future regulation of agency work and umbrella companies in the context of the FWA assuming responsibility for functions previously carried out by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and the anticipated response from the Government to its consultation on modernising the Agency Work Regulatory Framework. Approaches to applying the new enforcement framework will be assessed, looking at complex labour supply chains, considerations for improving transparency and accountability within the umbrella company market, and wider questions around maintaining labour market flexibility while strengthening protections for workers.
Dispute resolution & implementation of trade union measures
Further discussion will consider implications of recent employment rights reforms for workplace dispute resolution and collective employment relations. Delegates will assess the interaction between enforcement activity, Acas conciliation and the employment tribunal system, including possible ways forward for managing demand and supporting earlier resolution of disputes. Sessions will also examine implementation of new trade union measures, including workplace access arrangements, recognition processes and employer obligations, together with practical considerations for employers, workers and representative bodies as the new framework takes effect.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy: the Employment Rights Act 2025 - enforcement of new rights and obligations - implementation priorities and considerations - further reforms and legislation
- Fair Work Agency:
- the Strategic steer and Transitional Year Delivery Plan - development of the FWA operating model
- organisational capacity and capability - integration of functions and powers inherited from existing enforcement bodies - service continuity during transition
- enforcement:
- intelligence and data-led approaches to targeting activity - balancing employer support, guidance and compliance assistance with sanctions and enforcement action
- partnership working with Acas and other bodies - public awareness of workplace rights and obligations
- employment rights:
- preparations for National Minimum Wage and holiday pay enforcement from 2027 - digital approaches to delivery
- implications for employers, advisers and workers - resourcing and operational considerations
- agency work:
- modernisation of the Agency Work Regulatory Framework - regulation of labour providers and labour supply chains
- access to work arrangements and worker protections - maintaining flexibility while strengthening accountability
- umbrella companies:
- extending rules on withholding of pay - transparency and accountability in the umbrella company market
- enforcement responsibilities within the new framework - implications for workers and businesses
- dispute resolution:
- interaction between enforcement activity, Acas conciliation and the employment tribunal system - approaches to managing demand
- supporting earlier resolution of disputes - implications of wider tribunal reforms
- trade unions:
- workplace access arrangements - recognition processes and collective employment relations
- employer obligations under the new framework - implementation of new rights and responsibilities
