AWR: the first impact figures

The Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) have been in place for a couple of months now so we are able to start looking at the impact they are having on the sector.

The REC launched AWR Monitor at the same time the Regulations were implemented. Along with other REC members, we’ve been feeding our data into it, and the first monthly snapshot has now been produced.

The good news is that the demand for temporary staff remained relatively strong – temporary and contract staff billings increased in October at a similar pace of growth to that shown the previous month.

Demand was strong for both temporary and contract staff in engineering and construction, blue collar, IT and computing, secretarial and clerical, and for medical staff.

More than eight in 10 employers were planning to maintain or increase the number of temporary staff in both the short and longer term while just three per cent were planning to substantially decrease their numbers within the coming three months.
This is obviously good news for those who are career temps and have been concerned that demand for their services would fall in light of the new rules.

And it’s also cause for celebration for those who are using temporary, interim or contract work as a route back to longer term employment. The knock on is, of course, that those people are working rather than becoming another addition to the unemployment figures. It’s good to see that 84 per cent of people believe, as we do, that more needs to be done to support the use of flexible working as a bridge into employment.

* We are still working with clients and contacts to ensure the correct processes are in place to be compliant with the Regulations.
Do get in touch if you’d like more information about how we can help.

Santa run: We’ll be there… with spirits!

Nothing prepares you for Christmas more than seeing several hundred ‘Santas’ gallivanting around a frosty field on a cold December morning!

We’ve been involved with the Rotary Club of Stamford Burghley’s Santa Fun Run for the last few years. The Reindeer Recruiters have tackled the three mile course while the less energetic members of the team have served up mulled wine and mince pies to the finishers.

This year’s run around Burghley Park is on December 11 – the day after our Christmas party. Bearing that in mind, we’ve decided we’ll be far more use sticking to the refreshment area than trying to drag our feet, which will no doubt be aching from all that dancing, around the course.

So we’d like to wish everyone who is planning on taking part lots of fun and luck. And we’ll be there at the end warming the wine and handing out the pies!

ACR cook off for Children In Need

Rather embarrassingly, I won this year’s ACR Bake Off in aid of Red Nose Day!

I promise it wasn’t fixed. And while I admitted to setting my alarm early to get up and bake rocky road before breakfast, that was more to do with running out of time the evening before than a desire to serve up ‘still warm from the oven’ treats!

The whole idea started off as a bit of fun and a money spinner for charity.
Things quickly got very competitive – it was almost cook books at dawn!

We had everything from Delia’s finest to ‘Granny’s family recipe’ among the offerings. There were quiches and brownies, muffins, cakes, savoury snacks and biscuits. Every portion was sold for a donation to the charity which was, of course, the winner in the end.

On the side, there was the option for each taster to vote for their favourite. The goodies were donated anonymously so it really can’t have been rigged!

We have a few new members of the team this year who are an unknown quantity in the kitchen so today in the ACR office could be interesting!

I’ll let you know who wins – and how much we raise!

Charity gala dinner – what a celebration!

I was privileged to be at the Gala Dinner marking the 15th anniversary of the Peterborough Business Support Group of the NSPCC yesterday (November 10).

I’ve personally supported the Group since it started and I’ve managed to persuade the rest of the ACR team to get involved in various fundraising stunts over the years to help boost the Group’s bank account.

As a mum, any child-related cause is always going to feel like a worthy one. But what particularly appeals about the Peterborough Business Support Group is that all the money it raises goes to support vulnerable children in this area.

There are almost 200 children desperately needing supporting in Peterborough alone – the way I see it, that’s 200 reasons to do something.

The event, held at Peterborough Marriott Hotel, felt like the celebration it was.

There was a draw for a Mulberry handbag, some amazing auction prizes including use of a Florida villa and a ‘money can’t buy’ evening at the opera with Penny Smith which went for an incredible £3,500.

Penny Smith was the special guest and gave an after dinner speech recalling her time as a cub reporter on the Peterborough Evening Telegraph and spilling some secrets from the GMTV sofa.

I think the high point of the night though was the tribute paid by a representative of the NSPCC to the Group’s Chairman Chris Collier. I’m proud to know Chris and he is one of those incredibly humble people who will fight tooth and nail for the cause without ever accepting any of the credit.

Last night, he received some very well deserved recognition for his unswerving dedication to the cause since 1996.

A great evening to be part of, a worthwhile cause and a fitting celebration.

AWR – a month on

The Agency Workers Regulations are now part of employment law. The regulations have been talked about for the last couple of years and we’ve been working with clients for much of that time to ensure the necessary processes are in place.

In short, the regulations bring the terms of pay and basic working conditions for temporary agency workers in line with comparable permanent members of staff.

Some of that entitlement has already kicked in.

So, if you offer permanent staff collective facilities such as access to a canteen and child care facilities, temporary staff doing the same job also need to be given that access. However, if there is, for instance, a waiting list for child care facilities, temporary staff only need adding to that list – they don’t jump the queue. And if say gym membership is part of the deal but it takes four weeks to organise and the temp is only going to be with you for a week it’s reasonable not to worry about it.

The next date for the calendar is December 24. That’s the 12 week mark from the introduction of the regulations when other benefits such as holiday entitlement start.

Of course this will be a rolling process as temps come and go.

If you’re still unsure where your responsibilities lie for the implementation of the regulations please get in touch. They can’t be ignored!

university vs work based learning

The threat of graduating with £27,000 of debts (before students have even started paying for rent, bills, food and a social life) is putting many school leavers off university.

That doesn’t mean they’re losing their ambition.

Eighteen year olds still want a career, they’re keen to learn and want to develop themselves.

But university doesn’t have to be the answer.

We’re seeing candidates with a clutch of good A level results, enthusiasm and, in many cases, a vocation, desperate to get a foot in the door.

We’d now like companies to engage with them. We’d love companies to understand the value non-graduates can bring to a firm, maybe on an apprenticeship basis.

There are examples right here in Peterborough of companies which run very successful training schemes. In the three years while others are off at university, their trainees are being shaped, learning the job and providing value to the business. Their loyalty is being secured.

While the ‘apprentice’ description sounds like old hat the idea is very 21st century, working well in these times of austerity. Apprentices or trainees will generally have lower starting salary expectations than graduates but, within a short space of time, will be bringing value into your business.

Besides all that, providing an opportunity to a young adult to begin their career without the prospect of spending 30 years in the red, is guaranteed to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling!

Agency Workers Regulations

Tomorrow’s date October 1, 2011 has been looming over us as recruiters for a long time. It’s deadline day for the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations – a day we’ve been preparing for for around two years.

Yet still there are some companies, mainly small to medium sized ones, which haven’t taken steps to ensure compliance. This may be a ‘head in the sand’ tactic or it may be that they’re not aware it will affect them. But it will.

Every company which uses temporary staff needs to be aware of the legislation and have a policy of implementation.

In short, the AWR brings the terms of basic working and employment condition for temporary agency workers in line with comparable permanent members of staff. Some of their entitlements kick in from day one – such as access to collective facilities and amenities, for instance canteens and child care facilities. Others such as holiday entitlement start after 12 weeks.

The reality is that the majority of temporary staff, who provide a hugely valuable service, are already well treated and rewarded. The regulations will simply provide a safety net.

Like many agencies, we have invested a substantial amount of time and effort in preparing for the implementation and helping our clients prepare. We hope those efforts will help inspire confidence among our clients.

For those who haven’t yet sought advice or help, it’s not too late – in fact it’s a necessity to avoid falling foul of the legislation and potentially facing legal action.

We can provide a free assessment of your situation to ensure you have all the necessary processes in place – please get in touch.

Shocking statistics woke up Peterborough’s HR world

Around 200 HR professionals from Peterborough received a shock over their breakfast coffee on Tuesday morning!

At the annual Employment Law Briefing we organise with Hegarty LLP Solicitors, Martin Bloom – the employment partner there - warned the amount of discrimination claims could double from 285,000 this year.

That’s an expert saying there could be half a million disgruntled employees bringing claims against the companies they work for – that’s not only a big number that’s also a substantial increase.

Much of that rise will come as a result of the new strands of discrimination brought in by last year’s Equality Act. It’s only now that the effects of the act are starting to be felt.

The main change is all to do with associative and perceptive discrimination rules. The Equality Acts names ‘protected characteristics’ – these include race, sex, religion, sexual orientation and age. It is against the law to discriminate against someone for any of these characteristics. It is now also against the law to discriminate against someone ‘on the grounds of the protected characteristic’ but not necessarily that person’s own protected characteristic. Thankfully Martin’s real life example explained it more clearly than the law does! A woman was the victim of disability discrimination when she was treated less favourably because she cared for her disabled son.

Similarly, a case of perceived discrimination: a man who wasn’t either gay or believed to be gay but who was subjected to ‘banter and innuendo’ on the grounds he went to public school and lived in Brighton successfully brought an harassment case.

This widens the net for victims of discrimination and is something all HR professionals need to be aware of.

Also discussed during the seminar were statutory sick pay and case law.
As always the seminar was fascinating and we are delighted to be able to continue our association with Hegartys in organising it.

Employment Law Briefing

The rules governing sick pay date back to 1992 which is why they haven’t been on the agenda at our employment law briefings in a while. That’s why we felt it was worth revisiting them at this year’s event, being held on September 20th.

With the average worker absent from work for 8.4 days a year, around £10-£12 billion of productivity is lost annually in this country. Managing sickness absence is a big issue. Our very able presenters from Hegarty’s will not only be helping delegates brush up on the rules but will offer some tips about how best to address long term, short term and unauthorised absence among employees.

Also being discussed at the seminar are the two new strands of discrimination introduced by last year’s Equality Act. Associative and perceptive discrimination are entirely new aspects and quite complicated to get a handle on. Plenty of case studies will be shared to help explain the necessary definitions and interpretations.

We’ve been organising the employment law seminar in association with Hegarty’s for more than a decade. As in previous years, we are expecting around 200 HR professionals from the Greater Peterborough area to attend.

We like to think it’s the subject matter and the professionalism of the presenters rather than just the offer of a free breakfast that encourages them to get up early! If you’re not averse to an early alarm call, there are a few places left so do get in touch if you’d like to come.

AWR podcast part 2

The Guidelines for the AWR, drawn up by the Government, run to 49 pages. Employment law expert Martin Bloom talked through those guidelines and gave further examples of how the Regulations may be interpreted at our employment law briefing.

He made the point that there are many caveats, inclusions and exclusions and that, in some cases, definitive answers will only emerge when the regulations are tested at tribunal level.

This podcast was recorded during Martin’s presentation at the employment law seminar and gives further information on calculating the 12 week qualifying period, the definitions of pay and compliance information.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO PODCAST

Student awards – we were there!

I was delighted to attend this year’s Peterborough Regional College’s student awards just last week. This is the third year we’ve been involved through the sponsorship of the Best Business Student category.

The ceremony provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the students – and there was a long stream of them being rewarded for their efforts and hard work over the last year.

Celebrity speaker Kanya King (an MBE no less), the founder of the MOBO awards, gave a stirring speech and presented the students with their awards.

‘Our’ winner was Indre Rackauskaite who came up on stage to receive her award.

Her tutors said: “Indre consistently has produced good quality assignment work, regularly passing it at first attempt. She is conscientious in her approach, has performed her duties as a course representative properly and has travelled up from Level 1 through to Level 3 with high grades throughout.”

That’s certainly a good recommendation to have on your CV!

Indre struck me as a very competent young lady and I am sure she will build on the success she has had at college as she steps onto the career ladder.

As always the ceremony itself felt very fitting and definitely a celebration for the students. I came away feeling very upbeat and positive and I was just presenting an award!

REC webinar

Some very interesting facts and figures were showcased during a webinar hosted by our industry body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. Our recruitment partner Karen Dykes took part in the ‘event’ and was buzzing with both information and ideas afterwards.

The webinar itself was excellently executed. The Chief Executive Officer Kevin Green spoke and shared a lot of up to date information and forecasts from the industry.
Those taking part, and there were around 130 recruiters from across the country, were able to vote in real time on subjects Kevin was discussing, giving a brilliant snapshot of both opinion and what’s happening at a local level.

Karen is now investigating the possibility of how we could use webinars to host seminars along the lines of our regular employment law briefings – a great way to get even more people together without anyone having to leave their desks.

Much was made during the webinar about the added value agencies should offer their clients.

That’s something we’ve always believed very strongly in, and aimed to offer from day one of the business.

There were lots of suggestions made along the lines of being a ‘true partner’ and ‘investing in clients’. We believe that’s key to a successful working relationship. Unless you know your clients, their business, their ethos and their culture how can you find the right fit for their recruitment requirements?

In fact, we had a lovely compliment from a client the other day who said ‘ACR ‘gets us’. As an agency, we couldn’t provide the service our clients deserve if we didn’t invest time in understanding them.

There was talk of ‘widening the offering’, which included ideas such as training temps, providing testing and adding HR services. It was as the CEO Kevin Green talked through these things that we realised it read like a tick list of our services!

The whole team believes strongly in our brand and our offering but it was good to have some outside confirmation that what we do every day is exactly the kind of template that other agencies are now being encouraged to work towards.

Will the AWR affect your business?

The Agency Workers Regulations will affect your business if you have a tripart arrangement with an agency to supply temporary staff. If that three-way agreement - where a worker is hired through an agency by a business – isn’t in place then the Regulations won’t affect your business.

If that agreement does exist, the Regulations WILL affect your business and you need to ensure you are up to speed with exactly what that will mean when they come into force on October 1.

In this podcast – recorded at our employment law briefing - employment law expert Martin Bloom of Hegarty LLP Solicitors explains the importance of comparable employees, the rights the Regulations will give temporary staff and from when, and where the liability lies.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO PODCAST

Breakfast Seminar - AWR

There was a barrage of questions at the end of this morning’s Employment Law Briefing – always a good sign I think!

The topic was the Agency Workers Regulations with the presentation delivered by the incredibly knowledgeable Martin Bloom, employment law partner at Hegarty’s, our joint hosts of the briefing.

He covered the main points of the Regulations which sparked interesting discussions during the break and very pertinent questions at the end of the session.

The Regulations are aimed at bringing the terms of basic working and employment conditions for temporary agency workers in line with comparable permanent members of staff. But there are many caveats, inclusions and exclusions and very little in the way of definitive answers – many of which will only come when the regulations are tested at tribunal level.

Martin has studied the 49 page Government guidelines document at length and, using his experience as an employment tribunal judge, interpreted the regulations both legally – and morally – for delegates.

For instance: after 12 weeks in the same temporary role, working through an agency, a worker will be entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions.
However – from day one they are entitled to access collective facilities and amenities including things like canteens, child care facilities or transport services.

One delegate raised the question of gym membership – offered to all employees. Martin was clear that the Regulations state gym membership should, in that instance, be offered to temporary agency workers. However, the company could argue that the cost of doing that for workers who may only be in post for a matter of days or weeks is an ‘objective justification’ not to.

On the other hand, there was the delegate whose employees are always given a Christmas gift. Although this isn’t in their contract, because it has happened for a number of years it has become a recognised ‘benefit’. Therefore, Martin explained, temporary agency staff would also be entitled to a gift.

We have been working with our trade association and experts like Martin for around two years to ensure we are not only fully briefed and prepared to implement the Regulations but also in a position to discuss compliance with our clients. The process is continuing with us working closely with businesses, on site, to deliver free Impact Assessments – feel free to contact us to find out more about that service.

We’ll be uploading podcasts of Martin’s presentations and more information over the coming weeks so keep in touch.

Stamford Mercury Business Awards success

It was an absolute pleasure to attend last night’s Stamford Mercury Business Awards at Greetham Valley Hotel, Golf and Conference Centre.

I jointly sponsored and judged the Business of the Year category which proved to be an incredibly difficult job this year.

It was a struggle to cut the entry list down to the final four and picking a winner involved an awful lot of discussion following our visits to each entrant.

It was Human Touch which finally took the honours. They’re a local ambulance provider also offering first aid training with an impressive business plan to take them into the future.

I was incredibly impressed with the business’ offer and the team in place.
A large number of them were at the ceremony and were obviously thrilled to have won the award.

The whole evening was a wonderful celebration of local businesses. People talk about recessions and difficult times but seeing the number of small businesses not just starting up but flourishing was testament to the entrepreneurial people and spirit that exist in the Stamford area.

The Greetham Valley venue deserves a well done too for the delicious food and delightful setting that helped create such a lovely atmosphere at the ceremony.
It was an honour to be part of something so special.

Agency Workers Regulations

There are just four months to go before the Agency Workers Regulations come into force in October. And our seminar on that subject is less than three weeks away.

There is no doubt this is going to prove a landmark law change for recruiters and it is vital that both us – and HR departments – understand exactly what is needed to ensure compliance.

The seminar has been designed – along with the employment law experts at Hegarty LLP Solicitor – to ensure delegates leave with a comprehensive knowledge of the regulations and also hints and tips as to how current processes can be tweaked to ensure all requirements are met.

The main speaker will be Hegarty’s Martin Bloom whose presentation slides will be available in the form of a handout.

For more information about the breakfast seminar – taking place on June 9 – or how to access the presentation after the event please get in touch with us.

Diversity training – and so much more

Even when business is busy it’s important to remember the bigger picture.

We had a lesson in that last week when the team took time out of the office to engage in some diversity training.

This is a key area for recruiters. We have to be on top of the latest legislation, understand the theory and not only be able to put it into practice but to demonstrate to our clients it’s importance and it’s practical interpretation.

The latest diversity session with People HR proved very worthwhile. And, by involving every member of the team in one of the two sessions, everyone heard the same message.
This kind of training helps us all brush up on our knowledge levels and be confident we are adding genuine value to the recruitment process for our clients.

The other advantage is that training sessions offer a good opportunity for a spot of team bonding. Having everyone sitting in a room, listening and learning together creates a great sense of ‘team’ and is an excellent motivator. Everyone came out fired up and buzzing with ideas and energy.

A morning well spent!

Eco policy earns us extra award

Three of us went along to the Investors in the Environment first anniversary celebrations and awards presentation yesterday evening.

We knew we had achieved the scheme’s highest ‘green’ level award and were invited to receive our certificate from the leader of the council Marco Cereste. It was wonderful to see such a wide range of businesses there, all of which had engaged in the project, organised by Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT).

We received the certificate marking the success of our environmental management system – and then we were presented with another one!

The second – a Great Green Star Award - was a very welcome surprise. It was awarded to the handful of companies signed up to the Investors in the Environment scheme which the auditors felt had embedded their eco-policy into the fabric of the business.

That pretty much sums up how we feel about our environmental management system. It’s just what we do now. And why wouldn’t we? It saves us money, makes us more efficient and saves the planet!

Agency workers regulations seminar date announced

The draft Agency Workers Regulations guidance has been published today (Thursday, March 31)

We, along with many others in the sector and our governing body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, will be examining the details over the next few days in order to submit a response in the two week consultation period that has now begun.

The deadline for compliance is now just six months away and we’re in the midst of working with clients, developing Impact Assessments to form a basis for building a strategy to deal with the change in regulations.

These conversations – and the newly published guidance – will be the starting point for the presentations at our AWR special employment law seminar – now in the diary for Thursday, June 9.

The main speaker will, as usual, be Hegarty LLP partner and employment law expert Martin Bloom. He’ll be going over in detail the things businesses need to be aware of and providing hints and tips as to how processes can be tweaked to ensure all requirements are met.

To pre register your interest in place at the seminar please get in touch.

From small acorns…

We shunned our trouser suits and laptops in favour of wellies and anoraks for a morning – quite literally – in the field.

As an agency we have pledged to support the Forest for Peterborough initiative by planting a tree for each member of our team – and one for every candidate we place in a permanent position throughout the year.

And when we say ‘planting’ we mean actually planting.

Which is why a bunch of us found ourselves, spades in hand, at Thorpe Meadows, preparing to dig.

We were delighted to be joined by some of the candidates who have recently started new jobs through us – and the clients who employed them. It was a real team effort and while we didn’t quite plant an Anne Corder Recruitment forest we certainly added a good amount of saplings to what will one day grow to become a beautiful woodland habitat.

Anne Corder Recruitment scores green again

We’ve only gone and scored ourselves another environmental accreditation – and this one at the highest level possible.

After undergoing one of the toughest audits I’ve ever seen we achieved a ‘green’ level award from Investors in the Environment – and that’s even better than a bronze and silver in this instance!

When I say tough I mean tough – the auditor actually went through our bins and noted that some of the lids hadn’t been removed from bottles in the recycling waste! That makes our achievement even sweeter – it certainly wasn’t an easy win!

The scheme is led by Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) and has been designed to help businesses in and around the city save money and reduce their impact on the environment.

We had to meet a host of criteria – demonstrate an improvement in resource efficiency with utility bills to prove it, have a workable recycling system, adopt a green travel plan, take a carbon footprint test….the list was extensive.

Even so, the auditor told us we had exceeded the requirements in some areas.
So do forgive us if we allow ourselves a little pat on the back.

* We’re still keen to work with other businesses to help demonstrate how adopting even a strand of our paperless working strategy could improve your eco-credentials and efficiency. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss this area of our work.

Sharpest rise for almost four years

‘Strong and accelerated rises’ – that’s a phrase we haven’t heard in relation to the job market for a long time. But, according to the latest figures, it is apt.

We feed information into the monthly Report on Jobs, published by the REC and KPMG and February’s figures are looking good.

Permanent placements increased at the sharpest rate in 10 months. Temporary billings fared even better with the greatest rise since May 2007 – that’s almost four years.

And it wasn’t just appointments that scored robust growth. The overall level of vacancies showed the strongest rate of increase since last April. There are more candidates in the market too – especially those looking for temporary work.

Of course, any positivity these figures generate – and they certainly should generate some – has to be tempered by what is happening in the public sector. While the private sector is hiring, the public sector is shedding jobs. The Report on Jobs shows that while the IT and computing sector saw accelerated growth over the last 12 months, nursing, medical and care sectors have declined.

The REC’s chief executive Kevin Green described the situation in the UK as a ‘two speed labour market’. He also anticipates unemployment will continue to rise until the end of this year before starting a slow decline into 2012.

We certainly believe the overall findings of the latest national figures are reflected here in Peterborough and hope the positivity generated helps push the local economy forward over the coming months.

ISO accreditation – done!

Although we work hard to ensure we operate within all the industry guidelines and have in place all the processes we need to be compliant – there’s always a few nerves when the ISO inspectors are due in to our offices in Park Road.

It’s probably because we’ve been compliant for the last 15 years and held the ISO 9001:2008 since the business started – we’d hate to spoil such an impressive run of success!

Anyway, there was no need to worry. As we hoped, our processes, systems and procedures came up to scratch and the inspector was happy to sign off our ISO accreditation for another year.

We work hard to ensure we deliver best practice in every aspect of our business. Despite having achieved the standard for so many years, things do move on. Standards change to reflect new regulations and procedures and new checks are introduced.

Recruitment partner Karen Dykes oversees our compliance programme and her eye for detail ensures the business keeps apace with those changes. That, in turn, provides our clients and candidates with the reassurance that they will receive a professional service at all times across all aspects of our business – a reputation we’re proud of.

ACR backs Forest for Peterborough

All the candidates we place in permanent roles this year won’t just land a job – they’ll get a tree!

As an agency we’ve take n on the challenge issued by Peterborough Environment City Trust (Pect) to help create a ‘Forest for Peterborough’.

The idea isn’t to actually create one forest but to plant pockets of a variety of trees, creating ‘green corridors’ to improve the surroundings for residents and give wildlife a welcome boost.

We’ve worked closely with Pect on a number of projects over the last couple of years – and this one, launched by tv personality and eco campaigner Clive Anderson, falls in perfectly with our eco-credentials and strategy of community involvement.

So, each time we place a candidate in a permanent role this year we will plant a tree. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an entirely new role, one where a temp has been made permanent or where a contract role becomes a permanent position. The candidate will receive a certificate and be offered the chance to plant their own tree – or we’ll do it on their behalf.

We’re looking forward to the next official tree planting in February when we’ll start planting for those candidates we’ve placed in new jobs.

Facebook – check us out!

We have a big library of information and help guides which we have produced over the years – mainly for printing in newspapers, magazines and as leaflets.

The beauty of the Internet is that we can make that available at a click of a button – well…mouse.

Check out our Facebook page where we will be uploading our top 25 Workplace No-No's and A-Z Guide to Job Hunting covering everything from actually searching for likely vacancies to your exit interview.

AWR: Impact Assessment

We have stepped up our initiative to help clients introduce the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the Agency Workers’ Regulations – set to be fully implemented this October.

Demand for information about the Regulations – and how they will affect individual businesses – has been high.

Our recruitment partner Karen Dykes has been working closely with our industry body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) to make sure the information we have is the most up to date possible.

The regulations are far-reaching affecting the pay and some benefits of workers on assignment with the same company for more than 12 weeks. But while they include a lot of detail, there are exclusions too – some of which are still being ironed out.

Through Karen – and our close relationship with the experts at the REC – we have been able to help many businesses understand more about the Regulations.

Now we’re offering to work with each employer to produce an Impact Assessment. This will not only answer specific questions and resolve issues but will help plan each businesses’ strategy for ensuring procedures are place, staff are briefed and compliance is assured. Each assessment will be bespoke and take into account the businesses’ reliance on temporary staff.

The Regulations stipulate that it is, ultimately, the recruitment agency’s job to ensure a worker receives the pay and benefits they are entitled to. But the help of the client is imperative. So joined up thinking is vital to ensure agencies maintain their reputations and businesses remain employers of choice among temporary staff.

Businesses interested in finding out more about our tailor-made Impact Assessment should call us on 01733 319888 or email.

Marketing Director opportunity

A client is looking to fill the kind of role that suggests they, at least, are confident about the future. An international organisation based in the area, the company is looking for a Marketing Director with a £90k salary.

At that level, the requirements are high – and specific. The ideal person for the job will be a natural leader. They will have an MBA, bags of marketing experience and some sales experience too, and preferably a career background in the medical sector.

The remit for the role is wide-ranging covering a multitude of marketing and managerial disciplines. The person who fills the post will be expected to drive and support revenue growth, direct the marketing team, monitor and influence market dynamics, influence global marketing strategy and translate it in line with local market dynamics as well as dealing with internal and external customer liaison.

If you’re interested, or know anyone who might be, please get in touch. Email info@annecorder.co.uk or call me on 01733 319888.

Happy New Year

2011 has arrived. And we’re very much hoping things continue as they did in the run up to Christmas.

Strangely, just as everyone else started slowing down in that last week our phones were ringing off the hook. It was almost as if other businesses were quietening down, freeing up HR staff to make the calls they’d been putting off for a while.

Even on Christmas Eve we were accepting jobs.

That kept us busy in the traditionally quite period between Christmas and New Year and now we’re back to full strength for the New Year and looking forward to getting our teeth stuck in to what 2011 brings.

Here’s to a good 2011 for all of us!