Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Department for Work and PensionsLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessHR strategyJob creation and losses

HR calls for tax breaks for hiring long-term unemployed

by Kat Baker 17 Sep 2009
by Kat Baker 17 Sep 2009

HR professionals have backed calls for tax breaks to be given to businesses hiring the long-term unemployed.

As unemployment reached 2.47 million last week, a survey of 500 finance directors by law firm Grant Thornton revealed that 59% wanted to see a year’s holiday from paying national insurance contributions when hiring people who have been out of work for more than 12 months.

Sandy Begbie, executive HR director at Aegon UK, told Personnel Today: “It is clear there are risks associated with the recruitment of the long-term unemployed, and as such there should be some incentive for employers to recruit from that population.

“It would encourage employers to recruit the long-term unemployed while also providing employers with the opportunity of giving something back to the community as part of a well-developed corporate responsibility plan.”

Jonathan Cawthra, group resources director of housing association Affinity Sutton, added: “This initiative would create a financial incentive and some headroom that tilts the scales in favour of taking the risk, so I support it.”

While the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) welcomed the proposal, it warned the tax holiday should be closely linked to Local Employment Partnerships and the development of employability skills.

John Philpott, chief economist at the CIPD, said: “The CIPD supports this kind of measure in principle but believes that it could not work as an automatic mechanism but would have to be linked to other measures designed to improve the employability of the long-term unemployed and/or institutions such as Local Employment Partnerships.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“A simple recruitment incentive such as the national insurance holiday is unlikely to have much impact.”

In August, Personnel Today reported the CBI called for the £1,000 subsidy currently offered to those recruiting the long-term unemployed to be stopped and given instead to those hiring the young unemployed.

Kat Baker

previous post
Accor Services improves online eyecare voucher capability
next post
Action plan for lifelong learning

You may also like

August lull in recruitment as business gets set...

18 Sep 2025

Social mobility: Privately educated elite still leads UK...

18 Sep 2025

Ministers extend liability for umbrella companies’ unpaid PAYE

18 Sep 2025

‘Flawed system’ blocking apprenticeships from young people

18 Sep 2025

Met Police staff in strike ballot over London...

18 Sep 2025

Personnel Today Awards 2025 shortlist: Workplace culture (smaller...

18 Sep 2025

Trainee GP who displayed Palestine flag sues for...

17 Sep 2025

Graduates face ‘white-collar’ recession in jobs market

17 Sep 2025

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits over Unilever’s social...

17 Sep 2025

Inflation unchanged at 3.8% in August

17 Sep 2025

  • Workplace health benefits need to be simplified SPONSORED | Long-term sickness...Read more
  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise