UK: Recruitment Watch (October 2007)

Welcome to the October edition of Mishcon de Reya's Recruitment Watch, prepared by the Firm's Recruitment Services Group. Its aim is to provide those involved in the recruitment sector with a snapshot of what has been happening in the world of recruitment in the last month.

According to the Association of Technology Staffing Companies recruiters could still be liable for the unpaid tax of contractors who use managed service companies, even if their accountants complied to the audit standard for accountancy service providers being considered by HM Revenue & Customs.
Recruitment Consultant, October 2007

The government has decided to opt out of the proposed EU Draft Agency Directive, over fears that it would impose significant costs on taxpayers and employers.
Financial Times, 24 September 2007

The Association of Consulting Engineers has asked the Home Office to be more generous when handling applications by immigrant workers with engineering expertise to ease the growing jobs crisis in the sector.
The Daily Telegraph, 20 September 2007

Market

Recruitment specialists are seeing a bidding war for the services of financial regulation experts as the deadline for companies to comply with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive by the end of October approaches.
Financial Times, 15 October 2007

A study by the global recruitment company Robert Half has shown that companies around the world are increasing salaries and benefits to attract accounting and finance professionals due to a tight hiring environment.
Financial Times, 11 October 2007

Trends/Practice

The Professional Contractors Group has launched a new training initiative that will allow freelance recruitment consultants and contractors to select one of its five partner training organisations to provide them with training options.
Recruitment Consultant, October 2007

The Association of Labour Providers has issued an updated Temporary Labour Minimum Charge rate table following the increases to the national minimum wage and holiday entitlement and urged client companies refusing to increase rates to adjust for the statutory changes.
Recruitment Consultant, October 2007

A notebook PC containing personal data for 800,000 people who applied for jobs with Gap's US retail operation has been stolen from the office of a third-party company that services job applications for the company.
Recruitment Consultant, October 2007

Search Consultancy has launched a new recruitment service, based in Crawley and Manchester initially, to help tackle the shortage of suitable professionals in the scientific sector.
Recruitment Consultant, October 2007

The specialist recruitment agency Healthcare Locums has more than doubled pre-tax profits to £1.85m in the first half of 2007.
Financial Times, 27 September 2007

Tim Watts has given the bulk of his shares in Pertemps to its employees, a move that is seen as part of his plan to retire in three years.
Financial Times, 24 September 2007

The Employment Tribunal has banned Dean and Debbie Coles, owners of a Gloucestershire modelling agency, from running an employment business for at least 10 years, following Mr Coles conviction for rape, attempted rape and indecent assault of female clients in June 2003.
DBERR Press Release, 16 October 2007

Mishcon de Reya Workshops

"Employees and Data Theft - Fighting the Threat Within" on 14 November 2007 is the next in the line of Mishcon de Reya’s well received legal workshop programme, held in association with REC and Recruiter Magazine. For more information on this workshop and to view the whole workshop calendar for the year, please visit www.recruitmentlawyers.com.

Mishcon de Reya's Recruitment Watch is published by the Recruitment Services Group of Mishcon de Reya Solicitors who were established to meet the demands of their clients within the recruitment sector. The Group is made up of cross departmental specialist lawyers who are able to meet the diverse legal needs of the recruitment industry, with wide and varied experience within the sector and who have a proven track record in being able to meet the growing demand for a one-stop service amongst their recruitment clients.