Latest news from policy and research

Hot off the press, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined his Coronavirus Jobs Support Scheme to help people and businesses cope with the tightening of restrictions. As the furlough scheme comes to an end, there is a delicate balance to maintain between protecting jobs and the need to fight the virus. The Government will now top up wages of workers covering up to two-thirds of their hours for the next six months. There will also be a package of bounce back loans for businesses and some VAT relief. Check out our full press release for our response and our Covid-hub for a detailed analysis.

On the Brexit front, we are continuing to press for a deal, even a so-called “skinny deal”, but we need your views on how Brexit will impact your services to EU-based clients from the UK, and on your recruitment of EU workers for the UK. Your responses to our Trade survey will underpin our discussions with government, so please take a few minutes to complete it.

Getting people into work

The team have been working closely with DWP, and this week they have published the specification for their Job Finding Support (JFS) service -  a scheme for recently unemployed people (up to 13 weeks unemployed) who may not need significant help with their job search, but would benefit from a short package of tailored support to help them become familiar with current recruitment practices. 

The Government has launched its £2 billion Kickstart scheme aimed at supporting young people into work. Employers need to have a minimum of 30 job placements to participate. The REC will be acting as an intermediary for recruitment businesses that cannot meet the minimum 30-vacancy threshold.

Please contact policy@rec.uk.com for more details on how to get involved with both schemes.

Spotlight on standards

The REC joined the Future of Right to Work Checks for Employers webinar, where we discussed the viability of extending the temporary changes implemented due to Covid-19. The Digital Identity APPG have launched an inquiry for feedback from members about the potential benefits of digitalising processes, to become more efficient and safer.

We also joined the launch of the first SaferJOBS Ad Vetting System. The pandemic has showcased the scale of the problem, with a rise in genuine recruitment companies having their names used by fraudsters. The new system will be free for 6 months and intends to be an intelligence sharing hub for users.

In response to the latest consultation on modern slavery, the government is expanding on the requirements for the modern slavery statements, including key topics such as due diligence and risk assessment. A new digital reporting system will be launched early next year where all statements from organisations with a budget of over £36 million will be published. 

SME Engagement with CCS

As part of the Crown Commercial Service objective to support and encourage SME access to public procurement opportunities, they have asked for REC member feedback on areas of market access, registration and PPQ/SQ submission.

In other news…

Given all that is happening, you would be forgiven for not being aware that we are now in Party Conference season! This week the Labour Party gathering got underway (online of course) and we will be reporting back to members on what each party has to say to the recruitment industry. 

We continue to engage with the World Employment Confederation (WEC) to share updates on the UK labour market post-Covid, alongside our sister federations in Europe. 

We have also had further meetings with HMRC to discuss how government can tackle tax avoidance through disguised remuneration. The REC will be submitting written evidence at the end of the month. If you would like to feed into the REC submission, please email policy@rec.uk.com

Dates for your diary:

• The Government has confirmed that the IR35 changes will now happen on 6 April 2021. We are running a series of virtual seminars to give you a practical understanding of what you need to do now, ahead of the change next year.
• Our next Health & Social Care webinar takes places on 14 October - we will be joined by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Improvement/England and the main framework providers. You can sign-up for free here.
• The REC have been developing a new D&I strategy to give members the support and information they need to be drivers of change. More information on the strategy will be revealed at the REC's upcoming Inclusive Recruitment Forum on 10 November.
• Don't forget to look out for our latest Jobs Recovery Tracker on Friday for a detailed breakdown of the regional jobs market.