Employment Agency Regulations - Consultation Document

Employment Agencies Regulations Consultation Document

A Consultation Document has been published by the DTI, containing draft Regulations to govern Employment Agencies (the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 1999).

The draft Regulations are to be given effect under powers contained in the Employment Rights Bill. Much of the content consolidates the legislation from the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and subsidiary regulations, together with subsequent case-law. This consultation document refers to that legislation and acknowledges that "the industry has changed and expanded enormously since that time."

The new Regulations can be summarised as follows:

• agencies’ details (name and a statement that it is an employment agency) to be set out clearly in all correspondence;
• job-seekers entitled to clear, unambiguous terms making it clear who is employing them and on what basis;
• agencies to check the qualifications of job-seekers who must hold such qualifications to work, eg doctors, pilots;
• agencies to obtain references for applicants for certain jobs, eg working with children or the vulnerable;
• agencies not permitted to send job-seekers to hazardous work outside their experience or competence;
• increased protection for workers to ensure they are paid fully and on-time for work they have done;
• increased protection to safe-guard clients’ money;

Copies of the consultation document can be found at http://www.dti.gov.uk/IR/consultz.htm. Responses are required by 30th September 1999.