Welcome to the March 2008 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.
NEWS
Policy
The government has announced that it will withdraw the
value added tax concession on the hiring of temporary
workers, which excludes wages from VAT calculations
and taxes only the commissions charged by recruitment agencies,
from April 2009.
Financial Times, 13 March 2008
MPs have voted in favour of giving the Temporary and
Agency Workers (Equal Treatment) Bill a second reading
in the House of Commons but the prime minister is opening to
gain support for his proposed new commission
instead.
Financial Times, 23 March 2008
Market
Recruit Broadcast Media has recently launched offering a
dedicated range of broadcasting services for
recruitment companies, to allow them to promote
jobs.
Recruiter, 5 March 2008
Trends/Practice
According to the Federation of Small
Businesses, small companies in the UK are
struggling to recruit the right employees for
their positions and are heavily reliant on foreign
workers.
Recruitment Consultant, March 2008
Delegates at a conference organised by the
Recruitment and Employment Confederation's
construction sector group have been told that the
ongoing skills shortage in the construction
industry has forced companies to turn away contracts over fears
they won't be able to complete them on time.
Recruiter, 20 February 2008
Companies
The Greythorn family of recruitment
companies has rebranded as the FiveTen
Group.
Recruiter, 5 March 2008
The Sports Recruitment Company has
rebranded as Sports Recruitment International
and has announced plans to develop a network of worldwide
offices.
Recruiter, 5 March 2008
Premier Group has made a formal bid
for Imprint, which values the company at about
£45.2m.
Financial Times, 5 March 2008
Robert Walters has posted a pre-tax
profit of £24.9m for 2007 with net fee
income rising by 19% for the period.
Recruitment Consultant, March 2008
Adecco has posted net
income of €735m for 2007, up 20% from the
previous year.
Recruitment Consultant, March 2008
Encore Personnel Services has announced
a 50% increase in turnover for 2007 to
£15m.
Recruitment Consultant, March 2008
Clearstone Training and Recruitment has
gone into administration, after it continued
to suffer losses after being brought out of administration in
July 2007 by private equity firm RCapital.
Recruiter, 20 February 2008
LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
Legislation
New legislation that will punish companies who are found to
have knowingly employed illegal workers with
unlimited fines and a possible prison
sentence of up to 2 years has come into force as part
of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act.
Recruitment Consultant, March 2008
Mishcon de Reya Workshops
As brand and reputation are vital for those working in the recruitment sector, Mishcon de Reya's Recruitment Services Group, in association with REC and Recruiter magazine is delighted to hold this evening session and drinks reception focusing on The Power of the Brand. This session, on the evening of the 17 April 2008, will cover issues such as: the importance of branding to the sector; practical tips on how to maintain your brand & add value to your business; and a case study on brand survival if it is attacked. Please contact Richard Giles on richard.giles@mishcon.com to reserve your place.
Mishcon de Reya
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. For more information please go to: www.recruitmentlawyers.com where you will be able to ask one of our experts a question and view the answer to the question of the month.www.mishcon.com
This article is only intended as a general statement and no action should be taken in reliance on it without specific legal advice.