The Swedish Derogation Model – what is it? When is it ending?
The Agency Workers Regulations come into force on 1st October 2011 to bolster the rights of so-called “vulnerable” agency workers – and the Swedish Derogation is being mentioned a lot by Umbrella Companies. What does it mean?
Using an Umbrella Company
Updated 2016 (this article about using an Umbrella Company was previously in our ‘Workline’ database but is no longer published on the Crunch website).
Many freelancers and contractors choose to use the services of an Umbrella Company to deal with their finances – these are limited companies that employ contractors. If you choose to do
AWR – end-hirer liable for underpayment of an agency worker
Since the Agency Workers Regulations were introduced on 1st October 2011 very few cases have yet come to Employment Tribunal (the ones that have are detailed here), but in September 2014 an Employment Tribunal found that the end-hirer of the agency worker, not the agency that actually employed the worker, had to compensate the worker
Deciphering your legal status and IR35
Updated 2016.
Many new freelancers and contractors may be vaguely aware of IR35, but not know when and where it applies. Before getting too intimate with the ins and outs of the IR35 legislation, the first step is to know if IR35 is even relevant to your situation.
We give you more details about IR35
What happens if I’m injured at a client’s premises?
While the latest figures from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) show that the total numbers of accidents at work fell compared to the previous year, serious incidents, injuries and accidents unfortunately still happen and the rate of fatalities at work hovers between 0.45 to 0.5 per 100,000 workers.
The HSE oversees the implementation and
Limited Company Contractors not always protected under Equality Act
Are LCC’s protected under the Equality Act? It is common in many industry sectors for workers to work through a Limited Liability Company (or Personal Service Company).
In a recent case at an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) – Halawi v WDFG UK Ltd – the Judges considered whether a Limited Liability Company (LLC) Contractor was
What languages should be spoken at work
With the diversity of workforces in the UK today, there will inevitably be many workers of different nationalities and with different languages and cultures. This will mean that employers may need to deal with issues regarding what language is used in the workplace, particularly if many workers do not have English as their first language.
RIDDOR changes from 1st October 2013
RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations and is one of the important pieces of UK Health and Safety legislation.
Some major revisions to the Regulations were made on 1st October 2013, which we summarise here.
Including…. RIDDOR requires employers (and freelancers) to report and keep records of work-related accidents which
Can an Agency worker become permanent at the company they work for?
An Agency worker (temp) is usually contracted and paid by the Agency who employs them, and the Company that hires them pays a fee to the Agency for their work.
Here though, we consider if it is possible for an agency worker to be seen as a permanent employee of the company they work for (not the
Important AWR case gets to Tribunal
Finally at the end of 2012, over a year after the Agency Workers Regulations were introduced in October 2011, a case about the Swedish Derogation model came to Tribunal. We look at this case and subsequent cases regarding the AWR in our article here.
This case found Recruitment Agency Monarch Personnel Refuelling defending a claim
Volunteering – do something meaningful with your spare time
Anyone can volunteer, Freelancers and Contractors too. All types of organisations regularly need volunteers and Freelancers can often offer specialised skills that ‘traditional’ volunteers cannot.
What is a Contractor?
There are 3 basic ways you can be employed in the UK – as an Employee, as a Worker or as Self-Employed/Freelance. However, Contractors can be either a Worker or Freelance, depending on how they are employed on each job. Read on for more information!
