Revamping labour market enforcement in the UK

Effective enforcement of employment rights has been a key challenge for the UK in recent decades. The critical nature of this challenge has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – as employers battle with a host of employment relation issues such as furloughing and workplace safety, employment rights could become an unintended casualty. Thousands of workers may find themselves in vulnerable positions with a recession and expected redundancies looming.

Following on from the recommendations of the Taylor Review, and drawing from the input of expert stakeholders including employers and trade unions, this report considers what would be a more progressive approach to employment right enforcement in the UK – one that would support efforts to boost the quality of work and productivity, while safeguarding jobs and protecting the future workforce. Our report is published as we await the Government's response to its consultation on establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights.