Glossary

FCSA Codes of Compliance

The Freelancer & Contractor Services Association (FCSA) operates best practice codes of compliance designed to ensure that its Accredited Members are providing compliant advice and/or employment supported by the highest level of professional and ethical standards. New applicants for Accredited membership are required to demonstrate how they adhere to FCSA’s Codes of Compliance, to provide the necessary supporting evidence as well as providing certain additional information. The declaration and information provided will be subject to independent testing by regulated accountants and solicitors. Appointed assessors are themselves tested by FCSA to ensure that they are experts with sufficient in-depth knowledge of the sector. FCSA Accredited Members must pass annual testing in order to retain their accredited status.

Other common terms

Employment Agencies & Businesses

Government departments often differentiate between employment agencies and employment businesses. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) categorises employment agencies as those companies

PSL

Is a ‘Preferred Suppliers List’ that recruiters will use to identify companies that they are happy to work with, such as specific umbrella companies, that

Sole Traders

This term is used to define self-employed people who run their business for themselves and take full responsibility for its success or failure. Unlike working