Matthew Taylor to chair Fair Work Agency

Matthew Taylor has been appointed to lead the Fair Work Agency, the new body created from reforms in the Employment Rights Bill designed to protect workers from employers who flout minimum wage and other labour laws.

The Taylor Review author, currently chief executive of the NHS Confederation, will become chair of the Fair Work Agency in April 2026.

From using new powers to ensure the estimated 900,000 people who have holiday pay withheld each year finally receive it, to cracking down on employers that fail to pay the minimum wage, the Fair Work Agency aims to tackle worker exploitation in the UK.

It will bring together the responsibilities of three existing enforcement bodies to create a single agency, ending the current fragmented system so that workers and employers know where to turn to for support.

Taylor said: "For years inside and outside government, I argued that employers and workers need a single enforcement body for employment rights. It is an honour to be asked to be the first chair of the Fair Work Agency, the body that will meet that need.

"The agency has a vital job in strengthening labour market compliance and enforcement. This is essential to provide workers with protection and employers with a supportive and level playing field on which to invest and grow."

The former adviser to Tony Blair led the influential Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices, which was published in 2017, providing the foundation for many of the reforms in the Employment Rights Bill.

Business secretary Peter Kyle said: "The current enforcement system doesn't deliver for businesses or working people. Our Fair Work Agency will be a game-changer in ensuring rights are properly enforced, whilst backing those businesses that already do the right thing.

"Matthew brings exceptional leadership experience to this pivotal role, and I look forward to working with him to deliver our Plan to Make Work Pay and put more money into the pockets of workers across the country."

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said Taylor's appointment is an important step toward building a more coherent, fairer system of labour market enforcement.

He said: "To ensure its success, the Fair Work Agency must be equipped with the right resources and a strong employer-side voice from the outset. Employers - particularly smaller businesses - need clear guidance and support to comply with the new Employment Rights Bill. At the CIPD, we look forward to working with Matthew to help the Fair Work Agency deliver on its ambition."

The Fair Work Agency will replace and absorb the functions of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), HMRC's national minimum wage enforcement team, and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.

Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), said: "Matthew Taylor will bring a combination of deep care for workers being treated well and an understanding that work itself is changing fast. Both workers and businesses need flexibility that goes beyond the structures of the past, while ensuring we avoid exploitation."The new Fair Work Agency is vital to this, so long as it builds on the expertise of its predecessor bodies, in particular the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. For too long, employment laws have been passed that the vast majority of firms comply with, absorbing the costs of adoption in the interests of fair treatment. But those who flout the law have found it too easy to get away with it.  That damages great firms and exposes workers to poor treatment."

Taylor will continue in his role at the NHS Confederation until April, while also working with government, business and trade unions, helping to shape the strategy of the new organisation.

The Fair Work Agency will have powers to investigate and tackle employers flouting the law, including workplace inspections, civil penalties for underpayments, and the ability to bring proceedings on workers' behalf. It will also provide support to businesses on employment law.