The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS)[1] is located within the Department for Business and Trade. EAS is the government regulator for the private recruitment sector, regulating all employment agencies and employment businesses that provide work-finding services in Great Britain. It takes complaints and investigates breaches of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Businesses Regulations 2003.[2] It also conducts inspections to ensure agencies' compliance with the legislation.
There are an estimated 32,000 private recruitment agencies in the UK, representing an industry turnover in excess of £38.9 billion a year.[3]
In the reporting year 2020–2021,[4] it cleared 1800 complaints, completed 177 inspections, found 900 infringements and issued 267 warning letters. The total amount of money recovered for workers was £132.570. EAS also sought legal advice on 22 cases, resulting in 2 successful prosecutions, 3 prohibitions and 1 Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings Order (LMEO).[5]
The budget for 2020/21 was increased from £1.125m to £1.525m, an increase of approx. 36%, to allow for the recruitment of more frontline inspectors as recommended by the DLME (Director Labour Market Enforcement), and to prepare for the introduction of the ‘Key Information Document’,[6] which came into force on 6 April 2020. As a result of the growth of EAS, the inspectorate restructured to create a dedicated Operations Team of 18 frontline inspectors supported by colleagues on Intelligence, Risk, and IT (Information Technology).
According to the Minister for Employment in 2005,[7] the Inspectorate had the following resources,