Recruiters should welcome ID cards

With the onus now on employers and recruiters to validate the identity of those they place, I passionately believe the recruitment industry should stand up and support the Governments plans for the progressive introduction of Identity Cards. This activity should of course be led by the industry body, REC.

So far the industry has kept a typically low profile but the time is right now to come out and argue its case for introduction.

Its website suggests that, “Recruitment professionals in the front line of the UK’s labour market take their data checking responsibilities extremely seriously. Whether it is establishing a workers eligibility to work in the UK or making sure that the appropriate criminal record checks have been conducted, recruitment agencies play a key role in promoting safe recruitment”.

For years Government has considered the recruitment sector to be mercilessly profiteering (despite any truth in that statement being seriously eroded by continuous legislation and suicidal major operators) and having no real respect or concern for its workers, candidates or clients. Support for this serious issue, which is after all inevitable in a world where identity can be so easily stolen, could be a turning point.

Even more importantly we should mobilise our support for ID cards in exchange for the full and final demise of further, an wholly unnecessary, Temporary and Agency Workers legislation; aka the EU Agency Workers Directive is designer gear.

Gareth

Advice – call the office of your local MP (and MEP) ask for their position on ID cards, tell them yours and invite them to visit you and share opinions. While they are with you demonstrate what you do, as a responsible recruiter to ensure people are who they say they are and explain the current difficulties, take some photos, produce a press release and finally inform the REC; so they can add it to their portfolio of evidence.