The recent job cuts at the BMW Mini plant in Cowley have raised a number of questions about agency worker rights. The government is now preparing to launch its consultation on implementing the Agency Workers Directive (AWD) in the UK, and HR professionals can still influence the outcome of this important piece of legislation.   More...
25 February 2009 08:00

HR news and analysis including: HR experts have warned of damage to reputation and following redundancies at BMW failure by the government to rule out a public sector pay freeze may lead to worsening industrial relations, and a tribunal   More...
23 February 2009 09:02

PULSE , a market-leading provider of healthcare recruitment solutions, is one of 50 agencies to be awarded the National Framework Agreement for the supply of temporary Allied Health Professionals (AHP) and Health Science Service (HSS) staff to all NH  More...
12 February 2009 11:30

Demand for staff has slumped dramatically in the past month, hitting a 12 year low. The Report on Jobs from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and professional services firm KPMG found permanent staff vacancies fell to a new low o  More...
04 February 2009 00:01

Job losses continue to dominate the headlines as businesses scrabble to save money. But there are plenty of alternatives to redundancy which can both save you cash and ensure you hang on to your best staff through the tough times. Nick Martindale report  More...
03 February 2009 12:13

The Agency Workers Directive must come into force in the UK by 5 December 2011, the European Union (EU) has announced. The EU set the implementation date as it published the official wording of the directive - which will give temps in the UK equal r  More...
10 December 2008 10:50

The global financial crisis will force companies to offer short-term contracts rather than permanent jobs to new employees, according to academics. Vicente Cuñat, a finance lecturer at the London School of Economics, has warned that firms will be te  More...
09 December 2008 10:48

One in two recruitment agencies believes the Agency Workers Directive will add 10% to the cost of filling a temporary vacancy. The Agency Workers Directive was passed by the European Parliament last month - giving temporary workers in the UK equal   More...
27 November 2008 10:13

Here we collate various reactions to the news that the Agency Workers Directive has been passed by the European Parliament  – giving temporary workers in the UK equal rights to permanent staff after 12 weeks with an employer. Katja Hall,   More...
22 October 2008 17:13

Temporary staff and contractors need to review their working styles or risk falling behind as employers re-evaluate their staffing levels, a survey suggests. The Global Contingent Worker poll, conducted by research company Loudhouse, found that half   More...
07 October 2008 01:00

“Companies that use agency labour and pay unrealistically low rates to their labour providers are conniving in tax evasion, worker exploitation or both.” So says the Association of Labour Providers who today issue updated temporary labour “Mi  More...
22 September 2008 09:58

Woolworths' recruitment head has insisted the retailer's focus is on preparing for the Christmas rush, despite falling sales, a rejected takeover bid and changes at the top. Ian Lewis, national resourcing manager for the high street chain, told Pers  More...
08 September 2008 00:11

An Agency Work Commission has been set up by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) to prepare for new agency workers legislation. Ahead of the second reading in the European Parliament next month of the controversial EU Agency Workers Di  More...
29 August 2008 09:07

I was interested in the article about demand for staff falling at its fastest rate in seven years ('Sharp fall in demand for permanent staff as recruitment freezes bite', Personneltoday.com, 6 August). In line with the current economic crisis a  More...
28 August 2008 10:45

New tax rules could add an extra £400m to the cost of hiring temporary workers in certain sectors, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has warned. The government announced plans in the Budget earlier this year to abolish the staff hi  More...
06 August 2008 14:32

New Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) chief executive Kevin Green could not have picked a more tumultuous time to join the recruitment industry trade body. With the UK on the brink of recession, demand for staff at a five-year low and  More...
29 July 2008 13:00

Ethnic minorities are using temporary work as a 'stepping stone' to enter the labour market, a report has found. 'Increasing Employment Rates for Ethnic Minorities' , published by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee , found more than on  More...
22 July 2008 14:00

We take a look at the  Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2007  which came into force on 6 April. Q What is the main change to the agency workers amendments? Neil Carberry Head of employme  More...
15 July 2008 00:00

The recent agreement by EU employment ministers to give temporary and agency workers the same rights as permanent employees is causing concern in City organisations that engage large numbers of IT contractors. Standard practice in how the secto  More...
09 July 2008 15:00

Demand for permanent staff has fallen for the first time in five years, indicating a further weakening of the UK job market, research has found. Last month's 'Report on Jobs' from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and consultancy KPMG show  More...
08 July 2008 12:00