May/June Issue 61 - Flipbook - Page 27
NEWS
STAFFING IN A PANDEMIC!
costly to businesses so you’ll need to be sure
that anyone paid through a self-employed
scheme in your business is a ‘true’ contractor
and is therefore working ‘outside of IR35’
As we enter the third National lockdown of the
ongoing pandemic, we know how difficult it
is to plan your staffing needs now and in the
near future. The uncertainty around workloads
and volumes coupled with sickness means
that operators are struggling to fully understand who they need and when.
As a guide there are three main principles
to determine employment status, these are
known as the principal ‘tests of employment’:
• Control: what degree of control does the
client have over what, how, when and where
the worker completes the work.
• Substitution: is personal service by the
worker required, or can the worker send a
substitute in their place?
As a recruiter for the industry we saw the
requirement for new starters fall by up to 80%
in the first 3-months of the crisis and although
demand has steadily grown we are very aware • Mutuality of Obligation: this is a concept
that many operators are not in a position to
where the employer is obliged to offer work,
replace leavers or plan for the future just yet.
and the worker is obligated to accept it.
There is hope on the horizon though with vaccines on their way and the possibility of more
normal conditions by Spring. That, along with
the various government employment schemes
that have been introduced, which offer funding
through business grants to either keep staff
employed, such as the Furlough Scheme
(CJRS), or allow companies to bring in new,
young talent to their businesses, like the new
Kickstart Scheme, operators can access the
help they need to plan for the future whilst
limiting the financial risk to the business.
F1 Personnel are here to not only help operators find temporary and permanent staff but to
offer access to new initiatives whilst providing
incite and guidance on issues that affect recruitment and staff retention, including:
Changes to IR35 (Off-Payroll) Rules: Do
you employ workers on a Self-Employed
Contractor basis?
Other factors that are then considered to determine whether the worker is deemed a contractor (outside IR35) or an employee (inside IR35)
include the contract type, whether the business
or the contractor is taking a financial risk and
provision of equipment.
To understand the rules better visit https://
www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-off-payroll-working-ir35 or speak to a knowledgeable
HR person, accountant or tax lawyer.
The programme, the Youth Assured Employment Programme (YAEP), combines
the recruitment knowledge with the training
expertise of both companies to offer businesses an efficient service that recruits, trains and
mentors each Kickstart participant (Kickstarter) in their role.
Department for Work & Pension (DWP): We
work with the DWP to advertise and select
suitable candidates that meet your criteria,
train them whilst in the job, mentor and performance manage them including assisting with
employment matters and access the grant
funding for you.
Training & Mentoring: A 6-module IMI Accredited course that covers the employability
skills needed for the motor industry and the
role they undertake, these include EV & Hybrid Awareness, customer care and employability skills as well as anything else that is
deemed necessary to ensure Health & Safety,
best practice and compliance for the industry.
Even genuine mistakes can be costly!
Eligibility: All businesses large or small are
eligible to join the scheme through a Gateway
Organisation and there are no catches just a
few rules, the job roles within your organisation must meet the following criteria:
Government Kickstart Scheme
Does NOT:
The Scheme provides funding to create new
job placements for 16 to 24-year olds on
Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term
unemployment.
• replace an existing or a planned vacancy or
• cause an existing employ or contractor to
lose their employment or reduce their hours
Funding: Employers of all sizes can apply for
grant funding directly or through a Gateway
Organisation which covers:
We often speak to operators who require their
workers to be employed through an Umbrella
Company or other self-employed contractor
• 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25
agreement. Whilst this can save operators
hrs p/week for a total of 6 months
money on employee payroll costs and holiday
accrual it could land them in hot water with the • associated employer National Insurance and
HMRC.
automatic enrolment ‘Pension’ contributions
A ‘true’ contractor is someone who is responsi- • training and support
ble for their own business dealings and is not
obliged to undertake work for the client, this is Employers can spread the start date of the
called a ‘contract for services’.
job placements up until the end of December
2021.
An employee would have an employment contract or a ‘contract of service’ stipulating the
Gateway Organisation: F1 Personnel Ltd has
terms under which they work for the company. been approved as a Gateway Organisation
and can help businesses across the automoThe tests for whether a contract meets the
tive, transportation and logistics industries
IR35 rules have always been available howev- access the grant funding to bring fresh, young
er from April 2021 the onus upon who reports talent into their organisations.
contractor status to the HMRC changes. What
is currently the responsibility of the contractor Youth Assured Employment Programme
will soon change to the responsibility of the
(YAEP): Working in collaboration with our
employer, client or intermediary.
sister company, Network Training Partnership
Getting the status wrong could be incredibly
ployability programme that helps these young
adults develop into effective staff members
and valued employees.
The roles created MUST be:
• a minimum of 25 hours per week for a period
of 6-months
• paid at least the National Minimum Wage for
their age group
• should not require people to undertake
extensive training before they begin the job
placement
Cost: there is NO COST for the recruitment
services or standard training that we provide
and you can terminate a Kickstarter at any
time if they are not suitable or you can employ
them at the end of the placement if you want.
As part of the programme each participant
will be given an individual PATAM identity
and skills card to hold their training records,
accreditations and work history.
To be part of this amazing new initiative and
take advantage of the opportunity to bring
young, fresh talent in to your organisation
contact the team at F1 Personnel today at;
Ltd, we have developed a recruitment and em- info@f1personnel.com or call 01708 444696.
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