Calls for employment minister to tackle red tape

Red tape has long been the burden of umbrella company contractors looking to grow and small businesses alike.

However, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) is set to urge the government to tackle the problem as soon as possible.

Tom Hadley, director of policy at the REC, recently urged the new employment relations minister Norman Lamb to deal with issues such as excessive bureaucracy and tax burdens.

Mr Hadley remarked: “Feeding in to the government’s Red Tape Challenge will provide us with a great opportunity to do this.

"We will also be looking to ensure that the Department for Business continues to fight our industry’s corner in discussions with other government departments on issues such as taxation, pensions’ reform and overall employment policy."

However, he noted that the immediate priority for Mr Lamb – who took over from the now secretary of state for energy and climate change Edward Davey – is to highlight the “positive role” played by recruiters and to push a secure regulatory and compliance framework to allow industry to prosper and economic growth to return to the UK.