Legislation

An essential component of managing temporary agen­cy recruitment spend boils down to keeping on top of incoming legislation when outsourcing recruitment. de Poel helps set up the implementation of the formal terms and manage the relationships between businesses and their suppliers.  Adhering to legal requirements can only be achieved through the development of a two-way communication process which clarifies employer and agency responsibilities.

de Poel has produced an overview in response to the 1% increase to National Insurance contributions.  As from 6th April 2011, the weekly contribution rate now stands at 13.8% per employee. This measure has been brought in as an attempt to stabilise the economy.

Checking the Identity of Temporary Agency Workers

All recruitment businesses need to check the identity of workers registering for work finding services. In addition employment businesses supplying temporary workers need to check everyone's right to work in the UK.

What is a Driver CPC? - In 2003 the European Union agreed that all commercial goods vehicle drivers must undertake vocational training, this training is referred to as a Certificate of Professional Competence or CPC. The aim of the Driver CPC is to improve road safety & fuel efficiency and to help a driver meet the demands arising from the developing transport market

This qualification should not be confused with the Transport Managers CPC, which is  a different and higher level, regarded as a level 3 (driver CPC is regarded as level 2)

The points-based system is the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for 45 years. The system will replace over 80 existing routes to work and study in the United Kingdom with five tiers. The system allows British businesses to recruit the skills they need from abroad while providing assurances to the British public that only those migrants we need will be able to come to the United Kingdom.

Almost everyone who legally works in the UK is entitled to receive a minimum level of pay. This is called the national minimum wage. Employees/workers can be paid more than the minimum wage but must not be paid less.

Generally if you are legally allowed to work in the UK your employer must pay you at least the appropriate minimum wage. This includes home workers, agency workers, part-time workers, casual workers, pieceworkers and foreign workers.

The amount is set by law and increases on 1st October each year

National Minimum Wage rates from 1st October 2011

Single equality duty introduced April 2011
The Equality Act 2010 replaces the current public sector duties to promote equality with a single equality duty extending to other protected characteristics.

April 2011
The primary employee threshold for national insurance contributions increases by £570. National insurance contributions increase by 1% for employees. The personal allowance for income tax for basic rate tax payers under the age of 65 is increased by £1,000.

Keeping up-to-date with changes in employment law and considering the impact they may have on both our clients and agencies is of the utmost importance to de Poel. As a vendor neutral service provider with a national network of recruitment agencies, we issue regular legislative bulletins and briefs, keeping both clients and recruitment agencies informed of legislative changes.

Over the past 5 years the Government has realised the need for tighter legislation and has subsequently introduced a number of laws, alongside increased resource to enforce standards and compliance, which are having a costly effect on end-users of temporary agency labour. Indeed, in February 2009, the Government delivered a £1.2 million campaign to raise awareness of employment rights among vulnerable agency workers. The aims were to build a higher profile for the Employment Standards Agency (EAS) and to increase awareness of the special safeguards for agency workers specifically.