A leading recruitment company has spoken about the relatively smooth implementation of the agency workers regulations, which have now been in place for over a year. The findings from Adecco UK came after ICS revealed that over three quarters of contractors have experienced no problems with their contract directly because of the AWR.
ICS’ AWR survey also found that more than 8 in 10 contractors were still not completely aware of the regulations, with almost half saying they were ‘unsure’ what the regulations entailed. However, despite this the survey did go on to confirm that the AWR were simply not applicable to many contractors.
The results from Adecco backed up the results from ICS, with their managing director Steven Kirkpatrick stating that “very few” retailers have ended temporary workers’ contracts after 11 weeks in reaction to the AWR, as was feared in the build up to their implementation.
Speaking with Recruiter magazine, Mr Kirkpatrick said that the “AWR has not caused a huge sector shake up” instead suggesting that “With the introduction of AWR, we are actually seeing retailers implement a long-term strategy – very few have adopted a strategy of ending their temps’ contracts 11 weeks after hiring so they don’t qualify for ‘Week 12 Rights’ as we feared they might.”
With temporary workers actually experiencing an increase in demand , there is even more evidence to suggest that the agency workers regulations have not dramatically affected the UK’s temporary workforce. However, due to the nature of the regulations, some groups are still calling for a full government review because of what one group called “needless administration.”
ICS work with a team of experts in employment and tax law to ensure our services are fully compliant with existing IR35 legislation and the latest government regulations, such as the AWR. You can contact us now for a tailored proposal based on your individual circumstances as a contractor.
