Help Us Develop Umbrella Sector Regulation
Our good friends at JobsAware are seeking the views of umbrella workers on “what is the most appropriate regulatory solution for the umbrella sector”? In conjunction with the launch of the Department for Business and Trade consultation on umbrella company regulation, JobsAware are working with government, business, and umbrella workers on “what is the most […]
Silence Is Deafening – And Negligent?
Frustrations among experts in the umbrella sector are reaching boiling point as the government continues to ignore it’s promise to regulate the sector, and 14 months later has still not published their response their consultation on the umbrella market. This lack of action leaves an ever-increasing population of umbrella workers unprotected in an unregulated industry […]
Umbrella Sector Regulation Still A Distant Hope?
Despite it being one of the conservative party’s election manifesto commitments, the government has confirmed that plans for a single enforcement body have been shelved. It would have been a workers watchdog, bringing together regulators into a new independent body with a remit to enforce workers rights on issues such as holiday pay. And the […]
Orange Genie’s CEO Speaks Exclusively To IWORK
LinkedIn has been ablaze with allegations of umbrellas “skimming” money away from contractors, yet the company at the centre of it, Orange Genie, has so far been quiet on the subject. Julia Kermode spoke to their Chief Executive, Paul Bresnihan, to find out what exactly has been going on. Here’s what he had to say: […]
HMRC Publish “Spotlight” Warning About Umbrellas
HMRC have issued a “spotlight” warning to agency workers and contractors, providing them with information about potential tax avoidance relating to using umbrellas. (Spotlights are HMRC’s series of publications about potential tax avoidance.) In this latest edition, HMRC explain how some umbrellas benefit from operating disguised remuneration schemes and how these might increase your net […]
FCSA’s Handling Of Holiday Allegations Questioned By MPs
MPs have questioned FCSA about their handling of holiday pay allegations against one of their members, the recent amendment to FCSA’s code for umbrella members, and their previous refusal to answer questions on the subject. The letter, from the All Party Parliamentary Loan Charge & Taxpayer Fairness Group, asks the following: Why has no report […]
Umbrella Company Loses £11m Tax Tribunal
A tax tribunal has concluded that an umbrella company has a potential £11m liability due to their overarching contract not being one of employment. The case concerns Exchequer Solutions Limited which operates primarily in the construction industry. The tribunal focuses on tax deductible travel and subsistence expenses that were paid to their umbrella workers in […]
Holiday Pay Campaign For Redress Gathers Pace
Our friends over at Contractor Voice have stepped up their campaign against holiday pay being unfairly retained from temporary and contract workers by their agency or umbrella company. They are in talks with specialist lawyers to seek financial redress for affected workers, and formal legal action seems inevitable. The legal experts have confirmed that the […]
041 Why do recruitment agencies have lists of preferred umbrellas?
Temporary workers and contractors are often required to choose an umbrella from a preferred supplier list (PSL) operated by their recruitment agency. Some workers feel this restricts their choice, however many recruitment firms operate PSLs that are in workers’ best interests. We wanted to learn more about PSLs from the agency perspective so chatted to […]