One day to go to shape industry future!
10 April 2013
Recruiters and recruitment industry stakeholders - you have until the end of tomorrow to give your views on a major government consultation that could shape the industry’s future.
Wed, 10 Apr 2013
Recruiters and recruitment industry stakeholders – you have until the end of tomorrow to give your views on a major government consultation that could shape the industry’s future.
And for the second day running, Recruiter has compiled essential, need-to-know points from across the recruitment sector to remind you of key points from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) ‘Consultation on reforming the regulatory framework for employment agencies and employment business’.
Simon Drake, director, Penna Recruitment Solutions, who also sits on the executive committee of the Interim Management Association, gives Recruiter four key issues and recommendations on behalf of the Recruitment Society:
Sam Hurley, head of external affairs at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) says:
“This is a real opportunity to get fit for purpose legislation that recognises the difference between those recruitment firms that provide lower paid and potentially vulnerable workers – and those – like our members - that resource professional staff.
“Our feedback from members is that professional contractors – whether they are working through a personal services company or an umbrella – are [already] completely clear about who pays them and what their contractual relationship constitutes – i.e. that there is a contractual obligation to complete an assignment before leaving.
“Additionally, it is for the market to decide on what is reasonable in terms of temp to perm fees – if a client doesn’t like the terms of engagement then they won’t sign up to them. We recently met with employment minister Jo Swinson and were able to expand upon the differences between the professional and blue collar staffing sectors and argue our case that professional workers, particularly higher paid contractors – don’t want nor need the protection of the Conduct Regulations.”
Says Graham Jenner, a director of contractor accountancy service firm NoPalaver:
“The recruitment sector has seen change after change to regulations in recent years, leaving recruitment firms, umbrella service providers, and business advisers scrambling to keep up. Attempts to simplify the rules and regulations – and remove unnecessary burdens from businesses – should be welcomed.
“Government can often fall into the trap of resorting to new legislation to solve what it sees as a problem, even when market forces already do the job that the legislation is expected to do. The Agency Worker Regulations, for example, added huge compliance burdens to recruitment companies but changed little in practice. Protection for workers’ rights is important, but legislation is not always needed.
“It’s an important opportunity for the industry to have its voice heard: recruiters should make sure they let the government know what they think before the consultation closes.”
Nick Butcher, head of client services at Alexander Mann Solutions, comments:
“We agree with the stated outcomes of the BIS review, in principle. However, a clear distinction should be made between blue collar and professional jobseekers. This would avoid burdening the professional end of the recruitment market with unnecessary legislation, while protecting lower paid workers from the risk of exploitation. It could be achieved by introducing appropriate levels of opt out for different types of workers.
“We support the need for workers to have full confidence in the sector. However, we do not think this can be achieved by publishing detailed performance data online. This would be an extremely time consuming process, and it would be hard to guarantee accuracy. The vast majority of recruitment or recruitment management businesses sign up to the codes of conduct laid down by industry bodies and we do not feel that there is a need to legislate in this area.”
Recruiters and recruitment industry stakeholders – you have until the end of tomorrow to give your views on a major government consultation that could shape the industry’s future.
And for the second day running, Recruiter has compiled essential, need-to-know points from across the recruitment sector to remind you of key points from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) ‘Consultation on reforming the regulatory framework for employment agencies and employment business’.
Simon Drake, director, Penna Recruitment Solutions, who also sits on the executive committee of the Interim Management Association, gives Recruiter four key issues and recommendations on behalf of the Recruitment Society:
- We recommend that employment businesses and agencies should be refrained from charging candidates for their services. Our focus should be on helping secure the right talent for the right price for clients.
- That there is clarity of who is responsible for paying temporary workers. We believe the sector would benefit from greater clarity to ensure all parties clearly understand responsibilities of payment and particularly liabilities upon default.
- Compliance with current regulations and the Agency Workers Directive necessitates the support for movement of agency temps to permanent positions. However, it’s also an imperative that we maintain the opt-out clause for interim managers and other limited company services provided through employment businesses.
- That work-seekers have the confidence to use the sector and assert their rights. We wholeheartedly support this aim. However, suggestions that increasing available management information and proposing to remove the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate is not an approach we would support.
Sam Hurley, head of external affairs at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) says:
“This is a real opportunity to get fit for purpose legislation that recognises the difference between those recruitment firms that provide lower paid and potentially vulnerable workers – and those – like our members - that resource professional staff.
“Our feedback from members is that professional contractors – whether they are working through a personal services company or an umbrella – are [already] completely clear about who pays them and what their contractual relationship constitutes – i.e. that there is a contractual obligation to complete an assignment before leaving.
“Additionally, it is for the market to decide on what is reasonable in terms of temp to perm fees – if a client doesn’t like the terms of engagement then they won’t sign up to them. We recently met with employment minister Jo Swinson and were able to expand upon the differences between the professional and blue collar staffing sectors and argue our case that professional workers, particularly higher paid contractors – don’t want nor need the protection of the Conduct Regulations.”
Says Graham Jenner, a director of contractor accountancy service firm NoPalaver:
“The recruitment sector has seen change after change to regulations in recent years, leaving recruitment firms, umbrella service providers, and business advisers scrambling to keep up. Attempts to simplify the rules and regulations – and remove unnecessary burdens from businesses – should be welcomed.
“Government can often fall into the trap of resorting to new legislation to solve what it sees as a problem, even when market forces already do the job that the legislation is expected to do. The Agency Worker Regulations, for example, added huge compliance burdens to recruitment companies but changed little in practice. Protection for workers’ rights is important, but legislation is not always needed.
“It’s an important opportunity for the industry to have its voice heard: recruiters should make sure they let the government know what they think before the consultation closes.”
Nick Butcher, head of client services at Alexander Mann Solutions, comments:
“We agree with the stated outcomes of the BIS review, in principle. However, a clear distinction should be made between blue collar and professional jobseekers. This would avoid burdening the professional end of the recruitment market with unnecessary legislation, while protecting lower paid workers from the risk of exploitation. It could be achieved by introducing appropriate levels of opt out for different types of workers.
“We support the need for workers to have full confidence in the sector. However, we do not think this can be achieved by publishing detailed performance data online. This would be an extremely time consuming process, and it would be hard to guarantee accuracy. The vast majority of recruitment or recruitment management businesses sign up to the codes of conduct laid down by industry bodies and we do not feel that there is a need to legislate in this area.”
- Click to submit your views to the government on the Conduct Regulations.
