Fair Work Agency | HR experts divided as new agency chair appointed to tackle worker exploitation

HR and employment law experts have given a mixed response following the appointment of the first ever leader of a new Government taskforce that aims to crackdown on unfair worker treatment.

Matthew Taylor CBE was announced this week as the first chair of the new Fair Work Agency - the Government body set up to enforce minimum wage laws and tackle worker exploitation.

Taylor, who currently heads the NHS Confederation, will take up the role when the agency launches next year. The Fair Work Agency forms part of the Employment Rights Bill, which promises the most significant overhaul of workers’ rights in a generation.

And while many have welcomed Taylor’s appointment as a long-overdue step towards fairer work, others warned the agency risks creating fresh regulatory burdens for employers.