Employer Salary Advance Schemes (ESAS, or salary advance schemes) are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). These salary advance schemes link an employer payroll process to an employee smartphone app to offer advances of accrued earnings from a finance provider before payday. They do not usually involve the provision of credit or other credit-related regulated activities. In July 2020 the FCA published a statement setting out its views on the benefits and risks of salary advance schemes and how to mitigate these risks. In February 2021, the FCA published a report by Chris Woolard that recommended that scheme providers and employers develop a code of good practice for salary advance schemes. The FCA also told the National Audit Office in July 2021 that it planned no further interventions for the sector.29