The European Union has proposed a new set of guidelines for labour reform in the member states but the ARC is concerned that the EU agency workers’ guidelines depict contractors and freelancers in a negative light.
Small businesses, umbrella companies and limited company IT contractors will be in a state of ‘limbo’ until the emergency Budget is delivered on 22nd June.
The REC is understandably delighted that George Osborne has reversed part of the plan to increase NICs. They had opposed the move, as had all business bodies, as the potential cost would have prevented the jobs market recovering fully from the recession.
The Chartered Institute of Taxation has called on the new coalition to prioritise tax reform. They have written to George Osborne, the new chancellor, highlighted the need to simplify the current tax regime.
Contractors and freelancers with their own limited company, as well as interim workers who use the services of an umbrella company could soon discover exactly where they sit under the Agency Workers Directive.
Contractors who work in science and engineering could find themselves in greater demand according to a report published recently by the CBI.
The REC is urging the new coalition government not to make any drastic cuts from the public sector budget.
Following it’s successful ‘on the road’ tour, the REC has stepped up it’s campaign to educate recruiters and clients about the impact of the forthcoming Agency Worker’s Directive.
The stock markets have already taken a battering over the last 48 hours and several leading economists have suggested than anything other than a Tory / Lib Dem coalition could have a devastating impact on the UK economy.
Small businesses, limited company contractors and umbrella companies could be among those affected by a drop in confidence following the result of yesterday’s hung parliament election.
It had been hoped that a Conservative government would scrap IR35 but it now appears that this may not be the case. A Tory spokesman said last week that this may not be a viable option.
According to a new report published by Begbies Traynor, nearly 200,000 small businesses in this country are still struggling financially, even though the UK is now officially out of recession.
According to some reports, there are as many as 100,000 umbrella company workers who are predominately based in an office environment, and these are the very people who are set to benefit from a new group established by the REC.
According to data published by the Society of Professional Accountants, as many as 1 in 5 PAYE tax code notices issued by HMRC since the start of the year could be wrong.
Contractors, recruiters and umbrella companies across the country would have been pleased by the official growth rate figures, released yesterday. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.2% during the first quarter of 2010.
The REC’s ‘On The Road’ tour has been set-up as part of an on-going plan by the REC to better educate it’s members about the issues facing recruitment in this country, and how they can prepare themselves for the challenges that lie ahead.
