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The Complaints Report compiled by the REC’s Professional Standards department highlights specific areas of non-compliance within the REC’s Code of Professional Practice and identifies the categories of complainants. 

In the first six months of 2007, the Professional Standards team handled 312 enquiries and complaints. Of these, 47.6 per cent were complaints against members and 52.4 per cent either complaints against non-members, general enquiries or issues outside the REC’s remit. 

This compares to the whole of 2006 when the REC dealt with a total of 685 enquiries. 

Commenting on the Report, Helen Reynolds, the REC’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: “The continuing high volume of enquiries we have received in the first six months of this year shows there this a continuing greater awareness of the REC’s standards role rather than any rise in bad practice. 

“When compared to the overall size of the REC’s membership, the overall number of complaints we receives is very low because of the industry’s commitment to becoming more professional and more accountable."

Temporary workers were again the largest group of complainants at 27 per cent, which is a smaller majority than the first half of previous years. However, the second quarter of the year showed another sharp rise in the number of complaints from permanent employment candidates. 

A total of 29 per cent of queries and complaints received related to sector group members, the highest proportion being against IT and Comms. 

Claire Walker, the REC’s Head of Professional Standards, said: “The REC’s Professional Standards role is now much wider known and understood among both employers and jobseekers. This has been further strengthened this year through our team of four assessment officers whose work in carrying out random checks on our member agencies to ensure the Code of Professional Practice is being strictly followed.” 

Some of the key findings of the Complaints Report January to June 2007 include: 

• The Professional Standards Committee has considered four disciplinary cases. It issued one reprimand and ordered two inspections with a focus on equality and diversity before a final decision is reached next month (September).
• Two cases the Committee considered involved poor customer service and two consisted of allegations of failure to work according to best practices in equal opportunities.
• The REC is investigating allegations of mistreatment of migrant workers which came to light through a BBC investigation. The case involves compliance with Working Time Regulations.
• The number of complaints and queries handled by the REC increased by nearly 14 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the first half of 2006.
• Out of the 20 formal investigations carried out by the REC, nine have been against sector group members.
• Complaints included issues of portability of Criminal Records Bureau checks in both the Education, and Nursing and Social Care sectors; advertisements not complying with the new age discrimination laws and candidates having their CVs sent without prior permission.
• The London region has had the greatest number of complaints making up 36 per cent of all received followed by the South East with 27 per cent while 16 per cent came from the West Midlands. No complaints were received from Wales.
• Many complaints received about members’ conduct involved some element of dissatisfaction with customer service and the agency’s own complaint handling practices.