Contractor awards for 2015 opened by IPSE
Contractors are invited to submit their nominations to The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) Freelancers Awards scheme 2015. The nationwide competition, which recognises and financially rewards outstanding ambition and enterprise by contractors, is accepting entries until 1 September 2015. IPSE chief executive Chris Bryce said: “With over 4.5 million young and experienced men and women making the brave choice to work for themselves, self-employment in the UK is more colourful, diverse and important to the economy than ever before. And here at IPSE, we believe this is something worth celebrating.” More...
Contracting in accounting and finance is a growth sector, according to APSCo
Contracting vacancies remain strong in all professional markets, with opportunities up 3% across the board, according to new survey data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). “APSCo has long witnessed a shifting tide towards a professional flexible workforce,” highlights APSCo chief executive Ann Swain. “Organisations are increasingly turning to professional contractors when bringing on board senior talent as a means of harnessing first-rate skills and experience without the associated permanent headcount costs.” More...
Contractors can benefit from HMRC’s late tax return reprieve – if they have a good excuse
Contractors who have filed late tax returns can stop worrying about the penalty as HMRC is offering an amnesty to those who provide a ‘reasonable excuse’ for missing the deadline. According to the Telegraph’s Dan Hyde and Kyle Caldwell, up to 890,000 people will not receive the £100 fine following appeals to HMRC to write off the charge. An HMRC spokesperson told Hyde and Caldwell: “We want to focus more and more of our resources on investigating major tax avoidance and evasion rather than penalising ordinary people who are trying to do the right thing.” More...
Contractors beware: employers scan social media sites for candidate ‘best fit’
Contractors posting on social media sites could be increasing their prospects for hire so long as the content is perceived in a positive light, according to a CareerBuilder.co.uk national survey. A report on the survey by ONREC says that of the employers surveyed, 45% found content on social networking sites that led them to hire a candidate, but a further 42% decided not to recruit after finding content that made them ‘think twice’ about hiring the candidate. For contractors, clients may be slightly less concerned about personality best fit, but as employers are rejecting candidates for criminal, discriminatory and other perceived anti-social activity, it would be wise for those contracting to be circumspect too. More...
Engineering and finance contractors should target Norway for contracts
Engineering and finance contractors have an increasingly valuable skillset according to the results of the ManpowerGroup global survey on talent shortages and this is particularly true of Norway. The Norwegian results of ManpowerGroup’s survey show shortages to be particularly acute in the country, say Staffing Industry Analysts. Engineering is in the number two spot, and accounting & finance in fourth place in the top-ten shortage list. Commenting on the results, Maalfrid Brath, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Norway, said: “Geography also plays a role here. The need for engineers arises not always where the engineers are”. ContractorCalculator has just published a new guide on contracting in Norway. More...
Contracting in core sectors is ‘solid’ as uncertainly disappears, PMIs show
Contractor hiring remains strong and steady, according the Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Purchasing Managers’ Indexes (PMIs) for May 2015:
- The UK’s manufacturing sector continues to perform well according to the Manufacturing PMI. In particular, contractors should consider targeting clients in consumer goods and retails, as the consumer goods sector maintains strong growth, with the domestic market ‘solid’ overall.
- Contracting in the construction sector enjoyed a post election bounce in new orders, shows the UK Construction PMI. The resulting surge in new work should provide fresh impetus to the contact market. “Uncertainty [is] no longer on the horizon,” says Markit senior economist Tim Moore.
- The UK Services PMI shows “slow but strong” expansion continuing in the largest sector of the UK economy, with contractor hiring increasing. Contractors working in professional services should be encouraged “as skilled individuals were in strong demand,” according to David Noble, group CEO at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.
Contracting is increasing globally to bridge worsening talent shortages
Contractors on short-term contracts are increasingly being used to bridge skills shortages, according to the latest. ONREC shows that research by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) shows that 84% of clients worldwide are now using contractors or contingent workers in some capacity. Commenting on the findings, Graeme McKinnon, managing director of Select Appointments, said:“We are increasingly seeing greater demand and competition for skilled workers, which means temporary staff are being used to bridge the gap. This is not just happening here but on a worldwide basis.” Shortages are particularly acute in engineering and technology. More...
Contractors will continue to benefit from the work of the OTS
Contractors can continue to benefit from the work of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) as the Conservatives promise to make good on pledges to simplify taxes. Financial Director’s Calum Fuller reports that the OTS’s work has been well received and will be bolstered in the next parliament. Confirming that extra resources would be afforded to the body, secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said: “The potential benefits are enormous – and they stand to benefit everybody in this country.” More...
Oil and gas contractors working in exploration see steady but slowing demand
Oil and gas contractors involved in exploration and production experienced steady demand in 2014, according the Oil & Gas UK Well Services Contractors Report. The companies surveyed, which represent around 85% of well services contractors, reported gross revenue of £1.97 billion. The report confirms that, along with the rest of the oil and gas industry, wells services contractors face a challenging environment and recruited fewer staff last year. This is actually good news for contractors, whose skills will continue to be called upon to help maintain operations with reduced permanent headcounts. More...