These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Employment Agencies Act 1973 — agency/employment-business conduct
Enforced by:
FAIR_WORK_AGENCY
Employment Agencies Act 1973
The framework Act regulating employment agencies (which find work for job-seekers) and employment businesses (which supply temporary workers). It bans charging most fees to work-seekers and underpins the detailed conduct standards in the 2003 Regulations. Enforced by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, whose functions transferred to the Fair Work Agency on the abolition of the GLAA (7 April 2026) under the Employment Rights Act 2025; the FWA can pursue prohibition orders barring a person from running an agency.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003
Enforced by:
FAIR_WORK_AGENCY
Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003
Detailed conduct standards for agencies and employment businesses: terms must be agreed and recorded with both work-seekers and hirers before services are provided, prohibited fees to work-seekers, no withholding of pay, restrictions on detrimental contractual terms, and accurate information about assignments. A narrow upfront-fee exception applies to entertainment and modelling work (relevant to theatrical casting). Enforced by the Employment Agency Standards function of the Fair Work Agency.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties
Enforced by:
HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duty to protect employees and others affected by the business — agency offices and, for employment businesses, a shared duty with the hirer for the health and safety of supplied workers on assignment. Devolved: enforced via the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 in NI.
insurance
Great_Britain
Annual
Employers' Liability (Compulsory) Insurance
Enforced by:
HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Compulsory for any business employing at least one person. Employment businesses commonly hold cover for the temporary workers they engage as well as their own office staff.
registration
Uk
Annual
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018
Enforced by:
ICO
Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
Recruitment is a data-heavy activity: agencies hold extensive candidate data (CVs, references, right-to-work copies, criminal-record and health information for some roles). Processing special-category data and conducting DBS checks engage additional safeguards. ICO data protection fee unless specifically exempt.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics
Enforced by:
EHRC
Equality Act 2010
Agencies must not discriminate in placing or supplying work-seekers and are liable for discriminatory instructions from hirers. Discrimination, harassment and victimisation are prohibited across the protected characteristics, in employment and in the provision of services.
compliance
England_Wales
Ongoing
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Enforced by:
LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The responsible person must carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment for the agency's office premises. Devolved: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006.