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Late shift cancellation used to be frustrating. Now, thanks to changes to statutory late notice cancellation compensation, it’s potentially expensive. Under changes linked to the Employment Rights Act (ERA), agencies may be required to compensate workers where temporary assignments or shifts are cancelled or curtailed at short notice. The problem? In most cases, it isn’t […]
On 14 January, we brought recruiters together for a focused session on what 2026 is already delivering: guaranteed hours proposals, joint and several liability, Conduct Regulation reform, and the expanding powers of the Fair Work Agency. The feedback? Strong. Direct. And telling. The common theme wasn’t panic. It was clarity.Recruiters left with a sharper understanding […]
Not because the rules suddenly changed overnight. But because multiple reforms are landing at once, and together, they are exposing weaknesses in recruitment contracts, supply chains and commercial assumptions that have been quietly tolerated for years. If you look at each reform in isolation, it may feel manageable. Taken together, 2026 represents the most significant […]
HMRC has warned of new fraudulent models emerging in the market, claiming to reduce employment costs through ‘tax credits’ offset through acquired third-party businesses. Disguised as payroll providers, intermediaries, umbrella solutions, or back-office providers, they assert to use tax credits to offset employment taxes such as PAYE and National Insurance by operating the payroll thereby, […]
The industry’s been rightly focused on the joint and several liability risks under Chapter 11 of the Finance Bill, but there’s another serious consequence baked into this legislation, and it’s flying under the radar. We’re talking about TUPE transfers. At first glance, it may not look like much. But for agencies who’ve historically used umbrella […]
Proposed changes to umbrella legislation, particularly the Joint and Several Liability (JSL) rules under Chapter 11, set for April 2026, are already reshaping behaviour across the recruitment supply chain. But while most conversations focus on PAYE and NICs liability, a quieter, more powerful risk is emerging: perception. Perception influences decisions long before legislation does, and […]
SSP Is Changing in 2026, And It’s Going to Hit Agencies Harder Than They Expect Most recruiters think of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) as background admin — inconvenient, yes, but predictable.April 2026 will challenge that assumption. Under the Employment Rights Bill, SSP rules are changing in ways that will affect every employer, including employment businesses […]
Since the introduction of the Chapter 10 tax rules (IR35) agencies and hirers have faced tax risks when engaging limited company contractors (PSCs) except where the client is a small company (as defined). Many shifted to working with umbrella companies as a result. However, the environment is once again set to become tougher. Where you […]
The 30-second fix You’ve sourced a brilliant candidate. The client’s warm. You’re on the brink of a placement. And then…You hesitate to send your terms of business. Sound familiar? It’s a common fear in recruitment. “What if the client walks?” “What if I kill the vibe?” The result? Delayed terms, risky conversations, and worst-case scenario: […]
Why the proposed scheme could be a disaster HMRC’s latest proposal on umbrella companies still misses the mark As pressure mounts around tax avoidance and payroll compliance in the umbrella company sector, HMRC has proposed a new plan that could have wide-reaching consequences for recruitment agencies. While the initial idea of making agencies run PAYE […]
