Datum RPO Blog

In essence, HMRC are planning to make changes to the UK tax rules in the private sector, specifically for off-payroll working (self-employed contractors), in the hope of minimising tax avoidance from ‘disguised employees’ working as independent contractors. 

Currently, in the private sector, contractors determine their own IR35 status via their accountants or through independent worker status tests, however, the planned changes (which could be implemented as early as April 2019) will ultimately shift the liability to determine IR35 status from the contractors to the end user.

According to a report conducted by the Employment Agencies Standards (EAS) Inspectorate, complaints about recruitment agencies increased by 50% in 2018, in comparison with the previous year. 

The labour-market focussed Government enforcement body received 1,261 complaints, compared to just 828 in 2017, with the majority of the complaints centred around the failure of recruitment agencies to pay their staff for all hours worked. Hospitality and healthcare sectors witnessed most complaints, totalling just under 25% of all complaints received.  

On 6th July 2018, the government released a list of the UK’s ‘worst-paying’ companies throughout 2018. The original list, which included 239 employers throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, was created and published on the national government website to act as a public ‘name and shame’ list.

To put things into perspective, a total of 22,400 workers were identified as being underpaid by a total of £1.44m. The back-pay identified by HMRC was for more workers than in any previous single naming list, and has generated record fines of £1.97m.

So, building on the original list, Datum RPO have developed a detailed report listing the top 100 underpaying employers, with additional information including industry, location, etc.

This report also features an analysis of the 100 employers, with graphs representing the proportion of companies based on location and industry.

So, why have we created this report? At Datum RPO, we take compliance very seriously. We ensure that your contingent workers are paid fairly and mitigate against legal and financial risks.

Datum RPO, in partnership with BPE Solicitors, are proud to host a GDPR thought practice leadership forum - the facts explained, the myths dispelled and a practical ‘how to manage’ approach presented. We’d be delighted to welcome you to our head office for this event.

This is the biggest piece of legislation to affect all businesses for many years and BPE, together with Datum RPO, will provide you with the latest position and legislative updates, including those unanswered questions.

With GDPR rapidly approaching its implementation date, many UK businesses are still unsure on the process changes that it'll bring with it. 

In our latest GDPR guide, we unveil 10 unanswered questions on the process changes required for GDPR, including a recommended action point for each question. Some example questions include: 'how long can I store personal data for and where can I store it?' and 'can we still keep our current consumer data and contact them as per usual?'.