Look for the BERR necessities

I am always pleased to see the results of BERR’s Annual Report (the latest issued on 23rd December 2008) on the work of the Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and its evidence to support the recruitment industries claim that the majority are good and that only a small number of complaints are made against it each year and even fewer upheld and eventually actioned.

This is to take nothing away from the seriousness of the few major incidents but historically, when all omissions were anecdotal and the units ability to do much was hampered by the small number of Inspectors in the field, perception of the problem was much worse and the resulting corrective action more harsh. In 2002/3 four major incidents led to the creation of the Employment Agencies Act 2003/4 which was penal; so four rogue agencies caused the implementation of legislation that resulted in increased cost to agencies, their clients and UK Plc.

With colleagues at the REC we pressed hard to get to the bottom of the real numbers and it took a letter from me to Patricia Hewitt, then Secretary of State of the then DTI, under the greater freedom of information legislation to get to a situation where evidence could be shared.

My message to the critics of the industry would be to look closely at this report and combine it with the work of the REC’s outstanding Professional Standards Unit and recognise that together the complaints received would result in less than 2000 of any substance. Given that the industry is responsible for several million placements each year (temp and perm combined) this would suggest a complaint rate of less than 1:10,000 placements. I would suggest this is outstanding in business and worthy of merit and acclaim not continuous legislation and damnation.

Gareth


Click on the following link to find the latest report:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/environment/mediaDetail.asp?MediaDetailsID=261244&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=379&LocaleID=2