Changes to REC Complains and Disciplinary Procedure
REC members are recognized for their professionalism and the value they provide to clients and candidates. The REC Code of Professional Practice (the Code) helps recruiters get it right. It goes further than your legal obligations and helps you act ethically. If you are displaying the REC logo, it’s a sign of quality. It tells candidates and clients that you have passed the Compliance Assessment and comply with the Code.
Following a review by the Compliance Team and approval by the Board, we have made some changes to the REC Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure (CDP) to clarify the procedure and aid our investigations. The REC uses the CDP to investigate allegations of breaches of the Code and is part of our work in maintaining standards.
The key changes to the CDP are as follows:
We have amended Clause 3.1 to clarify who may complain by stating that any person "who has utilised or received services in connection to the services provided by a Member may complain". The REC may refer complainants to other organisations if their complaint may be better dealt with elsewhere”. This helps to clarify who can complain and that it may be appropriate for a complainant to go elsewhere particularly a relevant statutory authority.
We have amended Clause 4.2 by adding the word “otherwise” to ensure that a significant breach of the REC Code which if proven would bring the industry into disrepute can be referred directly to the Professional Standards Committee (the committee that considers complaint cases not resolved by the REC Complaints team) and not only those in the public domain.
We have amended Clause 5.1 to ensure that our members not only have their own internal complaints procedure in place, but that it is easily accessible to complainants. It is important that REC Members display the REC badge on their website along with a copy of their own complaints procedure. It should include a step by step process making clear who to complain to, timescales and how to appeal a decision.
A model complaints procedure is available here https://www.rec.uk.com/recruiters/legal/template-documents and can be easily adopted as your own.
Receiving complaints is not always what you want but can be a great chance for process improvement. Things can go wrong and so, a good complaints procedure can help you improve and stop it happening again. Your customers will return to you if you give a good service including good complaints handling where it’s needed.
Complainants should complain to a member first to give you a chance to resolve the matter and we’ve amended this part of the CDP to say “The REC does not normally accept complaints if the complainant has not first complained to the member”. This does allow some discretion for the Complaints Manager in certain situations to take forward a complaint where they think necessary even where the complainant has not first complained to the agency.
We have extended clause 5.9 which deals with situations where a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of their complaint following an investigation by the Complaints Manager by adding clause 5.10 which sets out the process for review.
We have amended Clause 8.2 to remove wording around the parties (complainants and Members) attending the PSC being able to question each other. This will not prevent any questions being asked but gives the Chair of the PSC more scope to direct the hearing.
We are sure these amendments will improve our complaints and disciplinary procedures for both our members and complainants.
The amended CDP can be found here https://www.rec.uk.com/recruiters/compliance/complaints/making-a-complaint
This year the REC is raising the profile of its compliance work with candidates, clients and other stakeholders. You can help us to do this by promoting the standards you work to by displaying the REC badge and your own internal complaints procedure on your website. We’re raising the profile of our compliance work in a number of ways including client engagement eg. with our Aim Hire guide and other publications. Aim Hire has proved very popular and we would recommend that you use it with your clients.
If you have any further questions, please contact compliance@rec.uk.com