Making a complaint to the EmploymentFair Work Agency Standards(FWA) Inspectorate (EAS) about your recruitment agency
This guidance is provided to help agency workers who have raised or need to raise a complaint to EASFWA about their recruitment agency.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Documents
Details
This guidance from the EmploymentFair Work Agency Standards Inspectorate (EASFWA) supports agency workers and others who wish to make a complaint about a recruitment agency.
This guidance aims to help to manage expectations and encourages workers to make a complaint where they believe the law has been breached. It may also be useful to recruitment agencies to gain a better understanding of the work EASFWA does and how EASFWA investigates complaints.
The guidance covers:
- who
EASFWA are
- the issues
EASFWA can investigate
- how
EASFWA investigates a complaint
- the actions
EASFWA can take against a non-compliant agency
- the issues
EASFWA cannot help with
- how to make a complaint to
EASFWA
Updates to this page
Published 22 August 2024
Last updated 7 April 2026
href="#full-history">+ show all updates
-
References to Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate changed to Fair Work Agency (FWA).
From 7 April 2026 a new government agency called the Fair Work Agency (FWA) began operating. It replaced the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate.
-
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-06-23 16:08
Guidance updated to reflect the scope of the Fair Work Agency when investigating complaints about employment businesses and agencies.
2026-04-07 08:00
References to Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate changed to Fair Work Agency (FWA). From 7 April 2026 a new government agency called the Fair Work Agency (FWA) began operating. It replaced the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate.
2024-08-22 16:05
First published.
Details
This guidance from the EmploymentFair Work Agency Standards Inspectorate (EASFWA) supports agency workers and others who wish to make a complaint about a recruitment agency.
This guidance aims to help to manage expectations and encourages workers to make a complaint where they believe the law has been breached. It may also be useful to recruitment agencies to gain a better understanding of the work EASFWA does and how EASFWA investigates complaints.
The guidance covers:
- who
EASFWA are - the issues
EASFWA can investigate - how
EASFWA investigates a complaint - the actions
EASFWA can take against a non-compliant agency - the issues
EASFWA cannot help with - how to make a complaint to
EASFWA
Updates to this page
-
References to Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate changed to Fair Work Agency (FWA). From 7 April 2026 a new government agency called the Fair Work Agency (FWA) began operating. It replaced the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate.
-
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-06-23 16:08
Guidance updated to reflect the scope of the Fair Work Agency when investigating complaints about employment businesses and agencies.
2026-04-07 08:00
References to Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate changed to Fair Work Agency (FWA). From 7 April 2026 a new government agency called the Fair Work Agency (FWA) began operating. It replaced the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate.
2024-08-22 16:05
First published.