 |
Parasol umbrella company
Over 47,000 satisfied contractors. Excellent service, online portal. Call 0800 458 0818. |
Contractors retain Agency Regulations opt-out choice
Posted Nov 17, 2009
The Government has confirmed that contractors will still be able to opt out of the recruitment agency Conduct of Employment Agencies Regulations.
The Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) was proposing to broaden the Conduct Regulations, which were first introduced in 2003. One of its proposals was to remove the option which contractors who operate through limited companies or umbrella companies currently have of opting-out of the Conduct Regulations, despite the majority of contractors doing so voluntarily.
What do the Regulations involve?
The Regulations can prevent agencies from fully recouping their placement costs - for example, where organisations want to offer contractors permanent work. The Regulations make agencies more susceptible to fraud by stipulating that agencies must pay contractors even where contractors fail to produce valid timesheets. The Regulations also increase red tape by imposing increased obligations to obtain detailed information on both the position to be filled and the worker, before supplying workers.
In its submission to the consultation, APSCo called on BIS to retain the opt-out of the Conduct Regulations for highly paid contractors. The campaign against the BIS proposals was also backed by the Service Providers Association (SPA) and the Professional Contractors Group (PCG).
In a survey earlier this year, contractors were overwhelmingly in favour of keeping the opt-out.
An "important victory"
Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo, commented:
"This is an important victory for the recruitment industry. If the opt-out had been withdrawn, the red tape burden on recruiters and contractors of automatically having to comply with the Conduct Regulations would have imposed significant additional costs.
"The Government has acknowledged that there is insufficient evidence of the opt-out being used to exploit vulnerable workers. It should concentrate on finalising the AWD regulations and getting the employment market back on track before it returns to this issue again."
Contractor Services
- Professional Indemnity Insurance - Essential cover from Hiscox
- The fair umbrella company - take home more pay with paraplus
- InTouch Contractor Accounting - specialist online service & great advice
- Parasol - the UK's favourite umbrella company
- Contract Experts - ClearSky Accounting on 08000 325 326
- Helix Management Ltd - Up to 90% retention. Same day payments.
- Umbrella Company - 12,000 contractors can't be wrong!
- Together we're stronger! - Join PCG, representing contractors
- Cloud 9 Group - Umbrella Solutions only £27.50 per week
- Qdos - IR35 experts - Providers of low cost contractor insurance
- K & B Accountancy Group - Fixed fee contractor accounting only £75pm
- Free IR35 & Tax Review - Call ICS on 0800 195 3750
- Contractor Mortgages - the best deals, based on your contract rate alone!
Related Articles
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
