Agency Workers Regulations: new contractor resource to download
Contractors can download a free new resource to help them determine their status under the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), which come into force on 1 October 2011. ContractorCalculator’s Contracting and the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), published in association with Parasol, explains how the new law will impact on contractors and what trading options might best suit their contracting career. “Contractors can use this white paper as a resource on which to base questions to their service providers and agencies to guide them on the best actions to take,” says Parasol Chief Executive Rob Crossland. More…
Contracting expert says careful preparation will mitigate the impact of AWR
Contractors may experience little noticeable change once the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) come into force on 1 October 2011. According to Professional Passport Chief Executive Officer Crawford Temple, careful preparation by agencies, clients and contracting services providers will largely mitigate the impact of the regulations on contractors. “Genuine contractors were never meant to be the target of AWR,” explains Temple, “and for many there should be no change to their working practices when the regulations come into force.” More…
Contractor demand sustained by 86% of clients despite impending Agency Workers Regulations
Contractor demand will be sustained, or even increased, over the next 12 months by 86% of clients surveyed in the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Jobs Outlook for September 2011. And that’s despite the negative impact on contracting some have feared resulting from the new Agency Workers Regulations (AWR). The demand for contractors has been helped by the ongoing economic uncertainty, as REC’s Director of Research Roger Tweedy explains: “Despite the imminent introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations, employers are still looking to build flexibility into their workforces while an overall air of uncertainty prevails in the jobs market. With economic predictions remaining downbeat, many employers are deferring any commitment to determining the future shape of their permanent workforces until a clearer picture emerges.” More…
Three quarters of contractors in contract eleven months out of the last twelve: PCG survey
Three quarters of contractors have been in contract for eleven months out of the last twelve, according to a survey by PCG. The survey also revealed that 84% of the 2,000 contractors and freelancers questioned “believe that business opportunities would stay the same or increase in the months to come.” According to PCG Managing Director John Brazier, contractors are key drivers of economic growth: “We are not at all surprised freelancers are in demand; they are the natural accelerants of the economy as UK PLC gets back on its feet.” More…
Opportunity for contractors with science, technology, engineering and maths backgrounds to fill UK creative industries’ skills gap
Contractors have the opportunity to fill a growing skills gap in the UK’s creative industries. A report by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals that the UK’s creative sector is expected to grow at twice the rate forecast for the economy as a whole and will employ 1.3m workers by 2013, greater in size than the UK’s financial services sector. However, many firms are turning to workers from overseas to fill vacancies because of skills shortages. There is a particularly strong demand for contractors with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) capabilities. More…
Contractors have strong mid-term prospects in UK manufacturing: KPMG report
Contractors seeking assignments in the UK manufacturing sector look set to have secure mid-term prospects. This is according to KPMG’s 2011 Global Manufacturing Outlook, which predicts that the UK will be one of the top five global manufacturing suppliers over the next 12-24 months. Natural disasters and increasing transport costs are resulting in firms looking closer to home, from locations like the UK, to source manufactured goods and components. Innovation is also driving growth in UK manufacturing, with 30% of UK-based firms expecting to sell new products into existing and new markets. More…
Contractor opportunities in manufacturing also strong in the short-term as ongoing growth is forecast
Contractors working for UK manufacturers and the manufacturing supply chain should continue to experience a strong market over the next quarter. The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey predicts production will continue to grow over the next quarter at a rate above the long-term average. Export-led firms are still performing above the long-term trend and present an attractive market for contractors, despite slowing demand from major trading partners. “UK manufacturers remain optimistic that production will continue to grow over the coming three months,” says Ian McCafferty, CBI Chief Economic Advisor. More…
Huge knowledge transfer opportunities for oil and gas contractors
Oil and gas contractors are facing a huge opportunity to transfer knowledge to the offshore wind renewables sector; and their skills could save up to 20% of the renewable sector’s operational costs. A new report from Scottish Enterprise, Guide to Offshore Wind and Oil and Gas Capability, predicts that transferring expertise from the oil and gas sector to wind could deliver £330m of savings from the costs of the average offshore wind farm. As oil and gas production declines in the North Sea, the offshore wind sector potentially offers a sustainable source of long-term contracts for contractors with transferrable skills. More…
Contracting sector yet to see real benefits from government cuts to red tape
The contracting sector has yet to see real benefits of any cuts to red tape as the government publishes its Statement of New Regulation, which claims that costs to business have been reduced by over £3bn during 2011. However, new rules on financial reporting for small businesses, such as contractor limited companies, are expected next month and these may cut the administrative burden for contractors. Because it is an EU measure, the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) is excluded from the ‘one-in, one-out’ campaign, and the government also recently confirmed that HMRC is excluded, too. More…