Currently, the director of Labour Market Enforcement is responsible for setting priorities for the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS), the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and the minimum wage enforcement team at HMRC.

In a statement, government said the consultation would seeks views on whether establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights could improve enforcement for vulnerable workers and create a level playing field for the majority of businesses who are complying with the law.

Consultation proposals include the body having consistent powers to enforce payment of the minimum wage, labour exploitation and modern slavery, along with holiday payments for vulnerable workers and safeguarding agency workers. The consultation also considers whether the body should also enforce workplace discrimination, harassment and bullying.

The government further revealed Matthew Taylor, the architect of the independent Taylor Review of modern working practices and an expert in modern business practices, has been appointed as the interim director of Labour Market Enforcement, succeeding Sir David Metcalf, who retired from his role at the end of June 2019.

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