The rules are changing faster than at any time in a generation. This hub, published by The British Institute of Recruiters (BIOR), a professional body for UK recruitment, tracks every change that affects recruiters and is updated every week.
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The Fair Work Agency. What every agency needs to know
The FWA has replaced the EAS and GLAA as the single enforcement body for employment rights. What it enforces, what's new, and what to do this quarter.
Read the guide →The ERA timeline every agency should pin to the wall
What took effect in April 2026, what's confirmed for October, and what January 2027 changes for every employer, kept current as dates move.
Read the timeline →Is your recruitment agency ready for a Fair Work Agency inspection? The 12-point compliance check
A 30-minute self-audit with a government source for every point, the two-business-day records rule, the six-month tribunal limit, the harassment duty and the right to work check. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
Run the health check →Go deeper, specialist guides
Agency workers & temp desks
Guaranteed hours, SSP changes, AWR and day-one rights as they apply to temps.
Read the guide →What are the umbrella company rules for recruitment agencies from April 2026?
The agency with the client contract is now liable with the umbrella for the PAYE on every umbrella worker it supplies. The rules, the checks HMRC expects and what goes in the file. Reviewed 7 October 2026.
Read the guide →What is the employment tribunal time limit from 1 October 2026, and what does it mean for recruitment agencies?
Six months, not three, since 1 October 2026. The harassment claims from 30 October, how unpaid awards are enforced, and the eight documents that decide a case. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
Read the guide →The Key Information Document for agency workers
What regulation 13A says it must contain, when it is given and given again, the umbrella and PSC cases, and who enforces it since 7 April 2026.
Read the guide →For clients, candidates, agency owners and in-house recruiters
How to check whether a UK recruitment agency is accredited, certified or a member of a professional body
There is no official register and "accredited" has no legal meaning. The five public checks anyone can do in ten minutes, and how to verify a membership with the body's own record.
Read the guide →Is it worth a recruitment agency joining a professional body or trade association?
What membership can and cannot do, the six checks to run on any body before you join, and what it costs against what it replaces.
Read the guide →Is there a professional body for in-house recruiters in the UK?
Yes. Where in-house recruiters and talent acquisition teams belong, what the law asks when you hire for your own employer, and what STAR membership at BIOR includes.
Read the guide →How do I start a recruitment agency in the UK? The compliance you cannot skip
No general licence, but regulated from day one. The written terms, the Key Information Document, the no-fee rule, adverts, records, right to work, insurance and the umbrella liability, each with its government source. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
Read the guide →Is there a membership for independent recruiters in the UK?
Yes, two routes depending on how you trade, Personal Membership in your own name or Agency Membership for a business of any size, and the rules that apply from the first placement whatever your size. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
Read the guide →This week's compliance news
- Holiday pay enforcement by the Fair Work Agency starts in 2027, not before April, and the consultation proposed a six-year claim period and penalties of up to 200% of arrears (news item, 30 September 2026).
- The union statement is decided, a fixed government text given to every worker, including every temp, from January 2027 (news item, 30 September 2026).