📋 4 COMPLIANCE CHANGES THIS WEEK
⚠️ ALREADY IN FORCE: HFSS Online Ad Ban (since 5 January 2026)
Paid ads for crisps, chocolate, biscuits, and fizzy drinks are NOW ILLEGAL online. If you're a food retailer running Facebook or Instagram campaigns — this applies to you. ASA and Ofcom are actively enforcing.
From drip pricing fines to holiday records becoming a criminal offence in 0 days — retail compliance has never been more urgent.
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Holiday records log (legally required April 6), HSE incident log, employment contracts, GDPR policies, and more.
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Every packaged product must now carry a Recycle or Do Not Recycle label. Enforced by Trading Standards. Criminal offence for non-compliance.
Check EPR obligations →Costa, Bupa, and Hays Travel are on the government's named and shamed list. £7.3m in arrears owed to 60,000 workers. The Fair Work Agency launches April 7 with walk-in powers to investigate your business. Is your payroll compliant?
Check your compliance → compliancealert.co.uk/compliance-scoreThe Fair Work Agency proactively investigates zero-hours compliance from April 7 — no complaint needed. The 12-week reference period determines whether you must offer a guaranteed hours contract. Update your records now.
Download ZHC Policy Template →Countdown timers that restart, late-stage delivery fees (drip pricing), and fake "was/now" prices are now illegal under DMCC Act enforcement. Wayfair, Appliances Direct, and Marks Electrical already named. 100+ advisory letters sent across 14 sectors. Fine: up to 10% of global annual turnover — no court order required. Any UK retailer with sales tactics, online or in store, is at risk.
Review your pricing tactics →Unfair dismissal cap rises to £123,543 from April 6. Discrimination awards (Vento bands) up to £62,900+ — and sexual harassment is now whistleblowing-protected. From January 2027: the unfair dismissal cap is removed entirely. Is your business protected?
Understand your tribunal exposure →From April 7, the Fair Work Agency takes over NMW enforcement with new 200% penalty surcharge. For every £1 of NLW underpayment, the fine is £3. 400 employers named this month for £7.3m. FWA also enforces SSP and holiday pay from day one.
Check your pay compliance →From 6 April 2026, failing to keep adequate holiday and holiday pay records becomes a criminal offence — with potentially unlimited fines. Published 27 March 2026. Near-zero employer awareness.
Alert me to this →5 businesses under investigation from March 27. If you've ever offered a discount for a review — you could be next. Fines: up to 10% of global turnover. No court order needed.
Tell me more →Retailers must submit plastic and paper bag supply data (for bags sold in H2 2025) by April 1. This is separate from EPR packaging labelling. EA and DEFRA joint enforcement. Almost zero SME awareness.
Check your bag reporting obligation →Online restrictions on HFSS food advertising in high-visibility website areas (homepage, category pages, checkout) are in force. If you're a food retailer running Facebook or Instagram campaigns for crisps, chocolate, or fizzy drinks — this applies to you now.
Review your ad campaigns →CMA updated green claims guidance January 22, 2026. If you sell eco, sustainable, natural or green products, you need documented supply chain evidence — supplier assurances are not enough. Fines up to 10% of global turnover, no court order needed.
Check your product claims →HMRC automatic enforcement. Update payroll now. Every worker on minimum wage must be on £12.71 from April 1 — no grace period. Part-time and zero-hours staff included.
Check your payroll →"Recycle" or "Do Not Recycle" label required on all new packaging. Obligated producers (those placing >50 tonnes of packaging per year) must be registered with the scheme. EA enforcement from day one.
Check EPR obligations →The 3-day waiting period for Statutory Sick Pay is abolished from April 6 (ERA 2025). Every employee, including part-time and zero-hours staff, is eligible from their first day of sickness absence. Most retail employers are still operating under old policy.
Update your sick pay policy →Failure to consult on collective redundancy now carries a protective award of up to 180 days' pay per employee (doubled from 90 days). Any retail employer planning store closures or restructuring after April 6 faces doubled exposure.
Review your redundancy obligations →Documented data protection complaints procedure becomes mandatory for all data controllers. Every retailer with an email list, loyalty scheme, or CCTV must have a formal, written complaints process.
Prepare your complaints procedure →Single-click cancellation and cooling-off periods become mandatory for subscription services. Affects any retailer with loyalty schemes, box schemes, or product subscriptions. CMA enforces directly.
Review your subscription terms →UK retail is watched by hundreds of regulatory sources. These are the gaps catching shops off guard right now.
ICO requires a privacy notice in clear view of cameras, a documented retention policy (usually 30 days max), and a lawful basis for processing. Most small retailers have none of these. ICO enforcement against small retailers has increased 40% since 2023.
UK PECR requires explicit consent for marketing emails — not just a pre-ticked opt-in box. Default ecommerce templates frequently fail this test. If your customers didn't actively opt in with a clear choice, your email list may be illegal.
Allergen labelling under Natasha's Law applies to all pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) food — sandwiches, salads, baked goods made and wrapped on site. Every ingredient and allergen must be listed on the label. FSA prosecutions are rising.
Any loyalty scheme that collects customer purchase data must have a documented privacy notice explaining what data is collected, how it's used, and how long it's kept. ICO opened formal investigations into 3 major loyalty schemes in 2025.
We monitor official sources from all 8 primary retail regulators daily — so you don't have to check 8 different websites.
Whether you run a high street shop, food deli, or online store — you face the same regulators. We keep you ahead of all of them.
HMRC · ICO · Trading Standards · HSE
FSA · ICO · HMRC · HSE · ASA/Ofcom
CMA · ICO · Trading Standards · Environment Agency
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| Feature | Starter £19/mo | ⭐ POPULAR Pro £78/mo | Enterprise £99/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email alerts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weekly digest | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instant alerts | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS alerts | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| WhatsApp alerts | — | — | ✓ |
| Compliance documents | Templates | Pre-filled | Auto-updated |
| Regulators monitored | 3 | 8 | 8 + custom |
| UK regions | 1 | All | All |
| Priority support | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Monthly briefing call | — | — | ✓ |
| Dedicated account manager | — | — | ✓ |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |
| Contract | None | None | None |
| Start free → | Start free → | Start free → |
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ComplianceAlert monitors HMRC, ICO, CMA, HSE, FSA, Trading Standards and more — and sends daily alerts 30 days before they matter. £19/month. No contract. Cancel anytime.
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