The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA) are announcing a new working relationship. All umbrella companies holding REC business partner status must have FCSA membership, and the professional body for the recruitment industry is advising its members to use only FCSA compliant contractor accountancy service companies.
The FCSA sets and maintains standards for umbrella companies via its compliance code and rigorous assessment of its members’ business operations by regulated accountants and lawyers. The outcome of this third-party assessment is shared with HMRC.
REC chief executive Kevin Green said:
“We are happy to recommend to all REC members who use or are looking to use a third party supplier of contractor accountancy or umbrella services, to use FCSA compliant members to minimise their risk. FCSA membership is difficult to achieve, putting organisations through a robust assessment to check compliance with their strict code of conduct. We are pleased to see that since 2008 the FCSA has become a significant player in setting standards and operating as an effective trade association in part of the market that has caused real concern for the REC and our members.”
FCSA chief executive Julia Kermode said:
“We are delighted to continue working alongside the REC, a highly respected organisation and the largest trade body in the UK recruitment market. Recruiters that are concerned about their liabilities should choose to work with FCSA compliant companies to be assured of best practice legally and ethically. FCSA members are easy to find as they are listed on our website and only they are entitled to use the orange FCSA logo.”
