The term ‘offshoring’ often has negative connotations. From the setting up of call centres in India to manufacturers moving factories (and jobs) to countries where skills are high but labour is cheap, offshoring is often seen as…

Fundamental changes apparent in health sector’s use of contractors 90% increase in recently qualified doctors going freelance ‘Mid-career’ medical staff keeping hold of permanent positions The number of doctors and nurses at…

The public sector has been a significant user of contract labour for many years, with the sector benefitting from the skills, flexibility and responsiveness of these workers. It is for this reason that there is such a sense of unease amongst the contractor population, as public sector cuts bite…

The safest, most compliant and ethical solution that also helps control costs, is to use a comparable full-time worker as a benchmark for the temporary worker's terms - otherwise known as the comparator model.

October 2011 was an historic month for the contractor and freelance community. It was of course the month that AWR came into force, but it also coincided with figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) that suggested a freefall in the number of people now working part-time in the…

According to Simon Last-Sutton, Managing Director of FPS Group, the recruitment of temps and contractors is growing, with more than 1.4 million people currently employed on a freelance basis in the UK. FPS is an umbrella company, acting as a contractor’s employer and dealing with all their tax…

Steve Lord of Certes Computing was the winner of the FPS umbrella company draw for VIP tickets to see Rihanna at the O2 Arena. Steve said, "We made it down with no trouble and enjoyed the VIP treatment that was on tap.  We had a great night and thank you again for sorting it all out for…

Congratulations to Stephen Lord of Certes Computing winner of the FPS umbrella company draw for VIP tickets to the Rihanna concert at the O2 Arena on Thursday 13th October 2011.  This is the last VIP experience for this year, but keep your eyes on the website for next year's…

Cheryl O'Connor of Randstad Care was the winner of the FPS umbrella company draw for VIP tickets for the Wizard of Oz theatre package!   (Cheryl is in the burnt orange dress). Cheryl said, "The Ritz was great, the meal was lovely and the service excellent.  The show was absolutely…

The Government has insisted it will bring in the new Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) “as intended” on 1 October 2011, despite reports of top-level debates about the controversial EU law, according to media reports. Speculation arose at the beginning of this month that the…