Recruitment agencies can help government ICT strategy
The government must make good on its promise to open up the market if recruitment agencies are to help implement its ICT strategy, according to the REC Technology group.
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Will the much heralded Work Programme actually work?
The coalition’s Work Programme launched at the end of last week, but Carmen Watson, the MD of Pertemps, warned that in order to be a success, the programme must match workers with sustainable employment.
APSCo to be a member of the IR35 Forum
APSCo, a group that represents many of the recruiters that umbrella company contractors work with, has become the latest organisation invited by the Revenue to join the IR35 Forum.
Public sector pay comes under the spotlight
Umbrella company contractors may be interested to learn that public sector pay has risen at a faster rate than it has in the private sector.
David Gauke states his commitment to overhauling IR35
HMRC should focus on detecting genuine cases of disguised employment rather than jumping to the conclusion that all freelancers are subject to IR35 rules, according to the REC.
REC plans pensions auto-enrolment workshop next month
As from October 2012, employers, including umbrella companies, will need to enrol their staff in a pensions scheme automatically.
AWR implementation moves a step closer
The Agency Worker Regulations were back on everybody’s mind at the end of last week. Following publication of the draft guidelines last Thursday, a two week consultation period is under way during which time the REC will be collecting feedback from its members and submitting a response to the BIS. …
AWR implementation moves a step closer » Read the full story
What should the mood of Scottish umbrella company contractors be?
The economic recovery in Scotland faltered during the bad weather last December, according to Lloyds TSB’s Scotland Business Monitor.
Increased fuel costs puts contractors off commuting
Recruiters have reported that temporary workers and umbrella company contractors are now reluctant to travel long distances to get to work due to the increasing cost of fuel.
Will Enterprise Zones work now when they failed before?
During the Conservative Party’s spring conference last weekend, George Osborne said the government planned to reintroduce Enterprise Zones.
Opportunities galore for IT contractors
IT umbrella company contractors should have been amongst those to benefit from an upsurge in demand for their services in recent months.
Do umbrella company contractors need language lessons?
Contractors who have been used to public sector working will need to learn private sector language if they become victims of the government spending cuts.
New online assessment tool for recruiters launched by APSCo
APSCo has just released a new online assessment tool to help recruiters benchmark the progress of their consultants, a move that could raise standards and benefit umbrella company contractors.
How to write the perfect CV, contractor style!
It can be a cut-throat world competing for contracts, with several people all after the same position. How do you outshine the rest?
Will the Pfizer shutdown affect umbrella company contractors?
Pfizer, the world’s largest drugmaker, announced last week that it intends to shut down its Research and Development facility in Sandwich within the next 2 years.
Don’t understand the Agency Workers Regulations? Time to get help
As implementation gets closer, a recent survey has discovered that 80% of freelancers, including those working through umbrella companies, do not know what the AWR is or whether it will affect them.