Employers to consider contractors as permanent solution

Employers look set to start considering their temporary and contractor workers as a permanent fixture in how they run their business.

Earlier this month, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's (REC) Flexible Work Commission was launched by David Frost CBE, the former chief executive of the British Chambers of Commerce.

At the meeting, the commission looked at the importance of the UK's flexible labour market and attempted to identify the barriers preventing greater flexibility. It is hoped that this will then allow the commission to present the government and businesses with new ways of boosting the country's economy and negotiating the challenges without the labour market.

Mr Frost observed at the meeting that employers are increasingly adopting “a more flexible approach not only as a temporary retention strategy, but as a permanent and sustainable solution to more competitiveness”.

While the first meeting was designed to scope out the work that needs to be tackled by the commission, it also worked to identify the knowledge gap around managing flexible workforces, as well as the potential consequences of extended legislation.

Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC, commented: “This is a critical development in our work to champion flexibility as one of the UK’s key drivers of employment growth over the next decade. The recruitment industry is keen and ready to enhance its role as the facilitator of increased workplace flexibility.”