Category Archives: Employment intermediaries

Understanding ‘Umbrella Companies’

Posted on February 2, 2022 by Paul Evans

I’ve just been preparing an explanation of how Umbrella Companies work to a Bectu member. Just writing it down is a reminder of what an obnoxious arrangement this is when you move people onto these – and this is what … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Gig economy workers, Pensions | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Tax avoidance and Umbrella Companies

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Paul Evans

I’ve been to a presentation from HMRC about a website that they have launched that is aimed substantially at people who are being asked to work through an Umbrella Company. It tells them how they can avoid charges of tax … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Gig economy workers, IR35, Loan arrangements, Tax | Tagged | 1 Comment

Ban Umbrella Companies?

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Paul Evans

The TUC is calling for a ban on Umbrella Companies [pdf]. The document under that link also outlines what they define as an Umbrella Company – I’ll be reading this in some detail as I think there may be some … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Personal Service Companies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Lord John Hendy QC – The Status of Workers Bill.

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Paul Evans

Lord Hendy’s bill The Status of Workers Bill was introduced to the House of Lords on the 26th May 2021. It is… “A Bill to make provision for the creation of a single status for workers by amending the meaning … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, IR35, Personal Service Companies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Gig economy growth in the finance sector?

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Paul Evans

Gig economy workers to nab 20 per cent of financial services jobs In the next three to five years so-called ‘gig workers’ will become increasingly common at #finserv firms, more than half of #financialservices firms have said https://t.co/WinX4xeG9v #gigeconomy #gigeconomy … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Employment intermediaries, Freelance working, Gig economy workers, Remote working | Leave a comment

Uber recognition deal with the GMB

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Paul Evans

A minor bombshell, GMB and Uber have agreed a recognition deal. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the agreement would give Uber drivers “a real voice at work”.

Posted in Employment intermediaries, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, Low pay, Trades Unions | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Taxed twice? Workers’ fears of addressing complex employent relationships

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Paul Evans

Just a quick personal observation based on advising members, but also helping family members with personal employment issues… I think everyone overestimates the degree to which workers are actually the robust rational actors that some policy-makers think they are.

Posted in Employment intermediaries, IR35, Personal Service Companies, Tax | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Employment Agency or Employment Business?

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Paul Evans

A useful explainer from Net Lawman: An employment agency is one that provides staff who is then employed by the client employer. An employment business on the other hand, provides staffs who do not become employed by the hirer but … Continue reading →

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Britain’s ghost companies – BBC Radio 4 programme.

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Paul Evans

Very interesting BBC Radio 4 programme on the abuse of complex employment intermediaries. The File on Four team, Anna Meisel and Angus Crawford, have written this up here.

Posted in Employment intermediaries, IR35, Tax | Tagged | Leave a comment

Loan scheme – HMRC embarrassment

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Paul Evans

The Guardian is reporting that HMRC are facing criticism when it was revealed that contractors who worked for them had been using so-called “disguised remuneration” tax avoidance strategies that involved being paid using loans instead of salaries, thereby sidestepping the … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment intermediaries, Loan arrangements | Tagged | Leave a comment

Understanding complex intermediary arrangements.

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Paul Evans

A question: How many ‘contingent’ workers who are employed through a complex set of intermediaries understand the arrangements that they are working through?   Just to help myself understand this, and to kick start a conversation about it a while … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment intermediaries, Tax | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Umbrella Companies (and other complex intermediaries)

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Paul Evans

There have been calls, particularly from the education unions, to have some kind of licencing scheme to make sure that ‘Umbrella’ companies (and other intermediaries that sit between a worker and an employer) to be properly regulated. Some unions are … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Tax | Tagged , , | Leave a comment