Umbrella Companies | Latest News

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The latest news affecting umbrella companies in the UK. Featuring HMRC, the Agency Workers Directive, the 2003 Agency Regulations, and IR35.

Umbrella company cloning is the latest threat to the contractor payroll industry

Umbrella company cloning is the latest threat to the contractor payroll industry

In a recent article published by the FCSA, a warning has been issued to recruitment agencies that refer candidates to umbrella companies. It’s become apparent that criminals are pretending to represent well-respected umbrellas under fake companies (with almost identical names) in an attempt to trick agencies into sending payments to …

Umbrella company cloning is the latest threat to the contractor payroll industry » Read the full story

Giant Pay confirms over 18,000 payments have been made and “all outstanding payrolls” have been processed after security breach

Giant Pay confirms over 18,000 payments have been made and “all outstanding payrolls” have been processed after security breach

Over a week after Giant Pay became the “victim of a sophisticated cyber-attack”, an update on the company’s website confirmed that on Friday 1st October 2021, Giant Pay had been able to make “over 18,000 payments to workers” and had “processed and paid all outstanding payrolls”. The full announcement from …

Giant Pay confirms over 18,000 payments have been made and “all outstanding payrolls” have been processed after security breach » Read the full story

Advice for contractors and recruitment agencies to stay safe from cyber-criminals when engaging with an umbrella company

Advice for contractors and recruitment agencies to stay safe from cyber-criminals when engaging with an umbrella company

The security threats faced by Giant Pay and Unified Payroll have sent shockwaves through the umbrella company marketplace. Thousands of contractors have failed to receive their hard-earned salaries, and a lack of communication has caused extreme frustration by those impacted. We sincerely hope everything is resolved shortly. Our thoughts are …

Advice for contractors and recruitment agencies to stay safe from cyber-criminals when engaging with an umbrella company » Read the full story

The pros and cons of regulating the umbrella company sector

The pros and cons of regulating the umbrella company sector

There has been a long-standing wish from numerous stakeholders in the temporary workforce sector for the government to regulate umbrella companies. However, is regulating the umbrella company industry the correct solution to improve compliance and protect contractors, freelancers and agency workers? We’ve had a look at the pros and cons …

The pros and cons of regulating the umbrella company sector » Read the full story

Unified Payroll also struck by a “security issue” that has resulted in missed payments to umbrella employees

Unified Payroll also struck by a “security issue” that has resulted in missed payments to umbrella employees

Another umbrella company has been targeted by scammers resulting in failed payments to umbrella company employees. This time, Unified Payroll has been left “unable to remit any payments to any workers” due to “severe issues” with their payroll system. The entire company update is posted below. If you are an …

Unified Payroll also struck by a “security issue” that has resulted in missed payments to umbrella employees » Read the full story

Giant Pay temporarily close down systems in response to “suspicious activity” on network

Giant Pay temporarily close down systems in response to “suspicious activity” on network

Leading umbrella company Giant Pay was forced to close down their systems on Friday 24th September due to “suspicious activity”. As a result, thousands of contractors have been left unpaid. Here is what we know so far. We sincerely hope the matter is resolved soon. If you use Giant Pay …

Giant Pay temporarily close down systems in response to “suspicious activity” on network » Read the full story

Boris’s plan to increase National Insurance and dividend tax will “squeeze the battered self-employed community”

Boris’s plan to increase National Insurance and dividend tax will “squeeze the battered self-employed community”

To help the UK’s economy recover from the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the government has announced a 1.25% increase in National Insurance (April 2022), as well as a new Health and Social Care Levy (April 2023). A rise in National Insurance was perhaps unavoidable. However, the self-employed are …

Boris’s plan to increase National Insurance and dividend tax will “squeeze the battered self-employed community” » Read the full story

Understanding an umbrella company calculation: A short breakdown

Understanding an umbrella company calculation: a short breakdown

Before registering with an umbrella company, it’s common for temporary workers to request an umbrella company calculation to get a better understanding of take-home pay retention. However, before shopping around for an umbrella company that ticks all of your boxes, it’s crucial you understand how umbrella companies work, and how …

Understanding an umbrella company calculation: a short breakdown » Read the full story

How will the increase in National Insurance affect umbrella company employees?

How will the increase in National Insurance affect umbrella company employees?

Nobody likes the idea of a tax and National Insurance hike, but from April 2022, employees and employers will be expected to contribute towards the new health and social care plan. Umbrella employees will be subjected to a double-whammy, as we’re going to explain in this article. Keep reading, and …

How will the increase in National Insurance affect umbrella company employees? » Read the full story

Umbrella companies and visas – what you need to know

Umbrella companies and visas – what you need to know

Okay, so this is a little cheeky of us. We’ve recently seen a blog posted by a leading provider about umbrella companies and visas. The blog was extremely helpful, and as a result, we’ve decided to steal the content and re-write it for our readers! We’ll link to the original …

Umbrella companies and visas – what you need to know » Read the full story

Finding a good umbrella company: 10 tips for temporary workers

Finding a good umbrella company: 10 tips for temporary workers

We’re reading more and more trash online about umbrella companies and how “dodgy” and “unethical” they all are. We’re not here to mislead our readers, and some umbrella companies have acted poorly in the past and should be black-listed. However, most UK-based umbrella companies provide a valuable service that’s reliable …

Finding a good umbrella company: 10 tips for temporary workers » Read the full story

What is continuity of employment and how does it apply to umbrella companies?

What is continuity of employment and how does it apply to umbrella companies?

One of the most significant benefits of using an umbrella company is continuity of employment. However, what is continuity of employment, and why is it advantageous for contractors, freelancers and temporary workers? Keep reading, and we’ll explain what continuity of employment is and how it can help you out. Umbrella …

What is continuity of employment and how does it apply to umbrella companies? » Read the full story

A trustworthy list of umbrella companies in the UK

A trustworthy list of umbrella companies in the UK

The umbrellacompanies.org.uk is a trustworthy resource for contractors, freelancers and temporary workers in the UK. If you’re interested in using an umbrella company, you’re definitely going to be interested in our list of umbrella companies in the UK. However, rather than create a random list without much substance, we’ve created …

A trustworthy list of umbrella companies in the UK » Read the full story

Does The Government Endorse Umbrella Companies?

Does the government endorse umbrella companies?

Umbrella companies are experiencing demand like never before – due to recent changes in IR35 legislation (especially off-payroll in the private sector). However, with hundreds of thousands of workers requiring the services of umbrella companies to manage their payroll, does the government endorse umbrella companies? Keep reading, and we’ll answer …

Does the government endorse umbrella companies? » Read the full story

Is There A Tie In Period With An Umbrella Company?

Is there a tie in period with an umbrella company?

One common question that some temporary workers have regarding umbrella companies is whether or not there is a tie-in period with their services. We’ll answer this question below. However, in short – no. There is not a tie-in period with an umbrella company, assuming they’re compliant. Keep reading to find …

Is there a tie in period with an umbrella company? » Read the full story

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