With mere weeks to go until the new IR35 rules come into play for the private sector, companies are ramping up their efforts to consult with their contractors. This seismic shift in tax legislation will affect the ways in which companies attract and retain talent, as well as making changes to supply chain relationships and business operations. The number of businesses using agency and contract workers has increased 40 per cent in the last 10 years[1], and for those who rely on them to deliver the majority of their labour, it might be tempting to implement a blanket, one-size-fits-all approach to quickly and efficiently side-track the complexities that IR35 presents. However, legislation dictates that any private sector business using contractors must take ‘reasonable care’ throughout this process, and those found not doing so are at risk of major repercussions – from both HMRC and their contractor workforce. What the workforce are saying IR35 is putting a lot of power in contractors’ hands. Recent surveys have highlighted that, moving forwards, half of all contractors (50%) will only take contracts that are outside IR35[2], while our own research has indicated that 40 per cent of contractors who find themselves inside of IR35 will work to negotiate an increase in pay to balance the impact on their income brought about by moving to PAYE. During the 2017 public sector roll out, those who adopted blanket assessments – deeming entire contractor populations as inside IR35 – lost a proportion of their contractor workforce to competitors. Any blanket approach in the private sector could have the same effect, either in the short term, long term, or both. After all, once IR35 comes into play, contractors need only compare two potential clients and what they will do to ensure they can work outside of IR35, before choosing the best option as their next role. A shake up in how contractors are engaged, without due care and attention to each contractors’ circumstances, current and previous working conditions and levels of responsibility, will make them feel undervalued. As such, they’re more likely to seek alternative roles, causing serious repercussions for the UK labour market and businesses already tackling labour skills shortages. What HMRC is saying Currently, contractors engaged via a PSC (personal service company) and operating in the private sector can determine their own IR35 status. From April 2020, this responsibility shifts to the end client. Even businesses that use intermediaries and fee payers, such as Morson International, are accountable for conducting these reviews and must ultimately make the decisions as to whether individuals fall inside or outside of IR35. HMRC has issued a warning that businesses must demonstrate ‘reasonable care’ throughout the implementation of IR35, insisting that every private sector company produces a status determination summary (SDS) that outlines the case-by-case reasons to deem that individual as inside or outside. For companies with extensive contractual chains, there is a responsibility for SDS’ to be passed to every supplier. Any client found not to have adopted reasonable care risks the IR35 determination becoming worthless, meaning those found to be ‘blanketing’ could be increasing their chances of a penalty from HMRC. It is also worth noting that those who do move contractors to PAYE will have to consider the regulatory changes that brings; for example, the Agency Workers Regulations outlines processes on worker equality, pay, hours and holidays. Final legislation and guidelines on IR35 will be introduced mid-March – eye wateringly close to the IR35 implementation date in April, meaning businesses have very little time to prepare. As such, many are calling for a further review of IR35. But one thing is certain – it is coming and is set to cause a shakeup. Whether you are a contractor or end client, Morson are here to support you through the legislative changes, contact us at IR35@morson.com to contact our expert IR35 team. [1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/uk-economy-latest-agency-workers-employment-workforce-labour-resolution-foundation-research-a8202686.html [2] http://www.itcontractor.com/ir35-crisis-as-half-of-contractors-will-only-take-outside-ir35-contract/
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Morson Group has been shortlisted in the first ever Engineering Talent Awards in two categories. The Engineering Talent Awards are a new recognition scheme that have been set up by Equal Engineers, an organisation headed up by Mark McBride-Wright. By connecting inclusive employers with diverse talent, their aim is to create inclusive engineering and technology organisations by increasing diversity and improve stakeholder mental health. Morson has been shortlisted in the categories of Large Employer of the Year and Best Recruitment Team of the Year. Our submission highlighted our continued showcasing of women within the engineering industry to act as role models for women considering a career within the sector. It also highlighted our sponsorship and support of key events and organisations such as the Big Rail Diversity Games, hosting the North West Diversity Forum and our membership of Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBT charity. Other initiatives discussed included our rainbow laces scheme, where hundreds of Morson track operatives working on the London Underground were given rainbow-striped laces for their safety boots in celebration and support of the LGBT community. Support for mental health and wellbeing was a big focus of the submission. In 2018, Morson released our first mental health whitepaper, which included results from our contractor survey. It found that almost half (46%) of those living with a mental health condition hide it from their colleagues and employer, and almost 1 in 10 have considered taking their own life because of their mental health struggles. Alongside the appointment of a Health and Wellbeing Partner, we introduced over 30 Mental Health First Aiders – employees within the business who possess the skills to spot the signs of mental illness amongst our workforce and who have the confidence to intervene. For the category of Large Employer of the Year, Morson is shortlisted alongside Rolls Royce and UK Power Network. For the category of Best Recruitment Team of the Year, our recruiters are shortlisted alongside Cordant Engineering and the Siemens Talent Acquisition Team. The winners of each category will be announced at a gala awards dinner on 23rd April in London, along with the Overall Excellence in Engineering Award being presented to the overall winner. Read about our wider diversity and inclusion initiatives here.
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Long service and standout achievements were honoured in Morson Group’s annual awards luncheon. Taking place at the King Street Townhouse in the heart of Manchester, the annual service awards bought employees from across the Morson Group together to mark several key service milestones and recognise the above and beyond achievements of other employees of the business. Among the landmarks, we were delighted to celebrate a staggering 40 years of service for Client Service Director Steve Seddon, who joined the business as our first ever apprentice in February 1980. Since then, Steve has worked in a variety of positions across the Group, from draughtsman to Managing Director of our engineering design consultancy Morson Projects, before heading up our Client Services team. Morson CEO Ged Mason, who presented the awards, said of Steve: “Forty years on, you’ve been on a few campaigns in the trenches and you’ve had six or seven jobs with Morson that you might have had a career somewhere else with, but you stuck loyally with us. I personally have fond memories of working in the drawing office when I was sent up there to try to learn design. I was probably a bit of a nuisance, the boss’s son in the office! But I did learn a lot and grateful for the time and patience you gave me. Well done Steve.” As well as service awards for people who had served 10, 20 and 30 years with the company, Ged presented special awards for employees who have excelled in 2019. The Morson Charity Committee was recognised for their efforts over the past few years. In 2019, the business raised £130,000 to be split in half between our elected charities, ABF The Soldier’s Charity and Motor Neurone Disease Association. Last year also saw Morson's '50 Weeks of Giving' campaign help dozens of organisations in the local community with a cash donation every week. The charity committee, which comprises employees from across the Group, were presented with gifts to celebrate their efforts in achieving that total. There was also an additional award for members of the Morson 50th Committee, a group of employees who were responsible for planning and undertaking the significant celebrations which took place to mark Morson’s 50th year in business. The celebrations included a summer party for all employees, a commemorative book and video, refurbishments across head office and a number of special panel events. AWARDS 40 Years Steve Seddon 30 Years Wendy Berry, Joanne Heath, Mike Power (retired) 20 Years Sue Armitage, Linda Parker, Steve Doherty, Neil Greenwood, Carol Wood, Mohammed Ajaz, Tracy Daley, David Hill 10 Years Paola Cattaneo, Jonathan Darbyshire, Shannon Demiryaban, Katie Eames, Ewlina Kurcaba, Amy Learnihan, Nicola Leggett, Shelagh Lynch, Andrew Morris, Terry Naden, Karolina Pozdilkova, Grant Evans, David Smith, Ian Banks, Sally Entwistle, Rory Gorton, Alexandra Parmley, Anthony Raybould, Stuart Taylor, Christopher House, Jessica Andrew, Mark Howells, Anthony Dawson, Susan Wright The Morson Charity Committee David Robinson, Joanne McGowan, Karen Bradley, Angela Thompson, James Kenealey, Ben Taylor, Charlotte Halkyard, Mark Poncia, Tanya Basu, Cathy Jackson-Blackshaw, Jen Petruccio, Jonathan McMillan, Isha Foster, Paul Harvey, Michaela Elliot, Quade Smith-Allen, Jay Dassrath The Morson 50th Anniversary Committee James Kenealey, Rebekah Lee, Andy Hassall, Angela Thompson, Gareth Owen. Ready to take the next step in your career? You can search all of our current vacancies here.
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In December 2019, Vital joined up with several other companies across the rail and construction sectors to form A.D.V.I.C.E, a new collaborative scheme aimed at providing a guide to workers on issues surrounding health & wellbeing. The A.D.V.I.C.E Health & Wellbeing scheme comprises of contractors, principal contractors and clients from the following rail and construction companies; Barhale, Bovis Homes, Ciras, Colas Rail, Ganymede Solutions, McGinley Support Services, Midland Metro Alliance, Network Rail, RSS Infrastructure, Transport for Wales, Van-Elle Limited and Vital Human Resources. The aim of the collaboration is to guide workers on issues, facts and research on subjects like; Debt Guidance, Cervical Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Bereavement and Mental Health Issues, with many more topics and subjects scheduled for future periods. The second topic of the series talks about gambling: Gambling Gambling is a popular leisure activity that is enjoyed by many. There are lots of ways to gamble including playing the lottery, bingo, betting on sports, casino games or playing machines. 45% of people aged 16 and over will have taken part in some form of gambling activity during the last four weeks. The most popular form of gambling is playing the National Lottery, and for many people this is the only gambling they do. The most popular form of betting activity is on football and online gambling is on the increase. Safer (Responsible) Gambling Keeping gambling safe is all about setting limits. This could be as simple as deciding before you start how much money and time you will allow for the next time you gamble. Many people can stick to these self-imposed limits. For others they may need help in keeping to their plan. Some tips to help you control your gambling: When you go somewhere to gamble, consider how much money you have with you and how much you can access. Maybe leave the debit and credit cards at home and take only the cash you know you can afford to lose. Online, you can set limits for each of your accounts. Try not to have multiple accounts as this makes it much harder to manage what you spend. When online or in person, why not set an alarm to remind you when you should stop. It might even be the prompt you need to walk away when you are winning. Self-Exclusion If you think you are spending too much time or money gambling, whether online or in a gambling premises, you can ask to be self-excluded. This is when you ask the company to stop you gambling with them for a period of time, lasting for at least 6 months. It is up to you to stick to a self-exclusion agreement, but the company should make reasonable efforts to stop you. When you make a self-exclusion agreement the gambling company must close your account and return any money in it. The Gamble Aware website contains more information about how to self-exclude: https://www.begambleaware.org/safer-gambling/how-to-self-exclude/ Before you transfer any money into a gambling account you should check that the organisation is licensed by the Gambling Commission. Licensed gambling business must show they are licensed and provide a link to the Gambling Commission license register: https://secure.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PublicRegister When does gambling become a problem? Problem gambling can affect anyone. It can happen at any age, to men or women and to people from any ethnic background. Studies have shown that you are more likely to develop a problem if you have a family history of problem gambling and if you started gambling at an early age. Gambling addiction is sometimes referred to as a hidden illness because there are no obvious physical signs or symptoms like there are with drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers also typically deny or minimise the problem, even to themselves. Gambling addiction can be referred to as problem gambling or compulsive gambling. You are unlikely to know that someone has a gambling problem unless they tell you. The impact of someone else’s gambling problem can be very stressful for friends and family members. Being a problem gambler can harm your health and relationships and leave you in serious debt. There are some signs to look out for if you are worried about your own or someone else’s gambling: Spending more time and money on gambling than you can afford Finding it hard to manage or stop gambling Having arguments with family and friends about money and gambling Losing interest in usual activities or hobbies like going out with friends or spending time with family Always thinking or talking about gambling Lying about your gambling or hiding it from other people Chasing losses or gambling to get out of financial trouble Gambling until all your money has gone Borrowing money, selling possessions or not paying bills in order to pay for gambling Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or for a longer time to get the same buzz Neglecting work, school, family, personal needs or household responsibilities because of gambling Feeling anxious, worried, guilty, depressed or irritable. There is evidence that gambling can be successfully treated in the same way as other addictions. Self-help tips for problem gambling Do: Pay important bills, such as your mortgage, on payday before you gamble Spend more time with family and friends who don’t gamble Deal with your debts rather than ignoring them – have a look at A.D.V.I.C.E’s previous information on dealing with debt Don’t View gambling as a way to make money – try to see it as entertainment instead Bottle up your worries about your gambling – talk to someone Take credit cards with you when you go gambling The Law The Gambling Commission has announced recent changes that mean it won’t be possible to use credit cards to make bets online anymore. Gamblers will need to use a debit card or cash deposited into an account. The Government is planning a wider review of the Gambling Act which will look into areas such as advertising, sponsorship and online gambling. For help with gambling, try the following helplines and websites. Many of these sites offer a short self-assessment so you can assess whether you have a gambling problem. National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/gambling-addiction/ https://www.gamcare.org.uk/ https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/ https://www.begambleaware.org/ https://www.gordonmoody.org.uk/ https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/problem-gambling
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Earlier this month, the prime minister, Boris Johnson announced that the long-awaited HS2 will go ahead in full, providing the perfect platform to develop a highly-skilled workforce across numerous technical sectors. As talent specialists for numerous technical sectors, including rail and engineering, we welcome the decision to ‘officially’ begin construction on the high-speed line. The move will work to carve out rewarding careers for tens of thousands of white- and blue-collar workers and open a clear pipeline to drive the next generation of engineers. Click here to hear from Adrian Adair, Morson Group COO as he discusses what the government's HS2 go-ahead means for UK infrastructure, skills and labour demand. Another later announcement on the 21st February saw the Department for Transport outlining exactly what the Integrated Rail Plan entails, and this includes making sure all projects tie-in to drive down costs and deliver the best connectivity as possible. As a result, a plan has been created to establish how best to integrate HS2 Phase 2b and the wider Midlands transport network. In the coming months, the Government will be considering the Midlands as part of the wider HS2 plan which will include a proposed £2billion programme to improve the Midlands rail network, dubbed the Midlands Rail Hub, providing better connections between London and the North. The £2billion project will see the “Victorian infrastructure” regenerated to cut journey times between Nottingham and Birmingham to 59 minutes, increase one train per hour between two major cities and feature reduced journey times to Coventry. However, to achieve this and HS2 in general, a focus needs to be placed on efficiently sourcing the labour that is required to deliver the scheme and bridging the skills gap that we are facing. Figures released in September 2018 show that demand for construction labour during phases 1 and 2a will reach approx. 30,000 workers, peaking within the next two years. Additionally, the total number of rail specialists required to deliver Phases 1 and 2a will peak at around 6,800 during the years 2025/2026. You can read more about what this means for the skills agenda in our latest HS2 blog which looks at why we must target the younger generations to deliver HS2’s ambitious plans. The Department for Transport's announcement comes shortly after the Oakervee review, which concluded the Phase 2b route - from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds - needs to be a Y-shaped network as the best strategic answer for the country. It also concluded, as the DoT says, that "that Phase 2b needs to be considered as part of an Integrated Rail Plan for the north and Midlands which also includes Northern Powerhouse Rail, Midlands Rail Hub, and other major Network Rail schemes to ensure these are scoped, designed, delivered, and can be operated as an integrated network." What are the next steps? The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) will be assessing the possibility of future work by looking at the rail needs of the Midlands against the plans that have been proposed. Watch this space! For more information about how Morson is supporting the talent pipeline, contact us at enquiries@morson.com. Or, if you’re looking for your next job in rail, click here to view our rail opportunities.
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An electric performance from hat-trick hero, Marland Yarde, inspired the Sharks to an impressive win, moving them to second in the Gallagher Premiership. Match Report: Leicester opened the scoring through Reid’s penalty inside the first three minutes, as the away side began the game the livelier team. Sale were penalised again a few minutes later, but Reid missed the chance to dispatch his second of the night, with his effort hitting the post. Sale searched for the first try of the game in the following ten minutes, with the du Preez brothers’ bustling runs causing problems for the Tigers. Rob du Preez looked to have set Yarde clean through after a great break from the Sharks, but play was stopped due to obstruction in the build-up, much to the frustration of the home side. The Sharks managed to take the lead in the 30th minute, as Bryn Evans charged down Van Poortvliet’s attempted clearance from the try-line and ran in unopposed. Rob du Preez’s conversion fell just short. The combination of Rob du Preez and Yarde wasn’t going to be denied for the second time of the night, as the South African put the electric winger through to charge over and double the home side’s lead. Rob du Preez was good for the conversion this time. The home side finished the half in style, as Coenie used his power to crash over from short range and Rob du Preez added the extras again. This gave the Sharks a 19-3 lead. Rob du Preez extended Sale’s advantage with a penalty, as the Sharks looked hungry for more points on the board with 25 minutes left to play. The du Preez and Yarde duo continued to flourish as Rob sent Marland through a gap in the Tigers’ defence at short range to get his second try of the night. Rob followed up with a beauty of a curler through the posts. Yarde showed his killer instincts again as he capitalised on a sublime kick from Sam James to get over for his hat-trick, sealing off a brilliant individual performance. Rob du Preez added the extras, capping off an emphatic 36-3 victory. Post-Match Thoughts: Despite the Sale finishing off the first half with three emphatic tries, Steve Diamond believed the 30 minutes that preceded were just as important: “Well I thought it was the first 30 minutes if I’m being honest where we kept the ball and had 70% possession. They didn’t have an answer to that really and we played against the wind really well. Second half was not dissimilar, we just tied to stay from getting frustrated and work the field position and get an opportunity to score the bonus point. But again, the main thing was to get the win, that’s why they kicked the goal which was good to see, but yeah delighted with it. It’s no secret that Sale are spoilt for choice with world class wingers and Dimes reiterated this healthy competition when discussing Marland Yarde’s hat-trick: “We’ve got four good wingers: Denny, Marland, Ashy and Byron. To stay in the spot, you’ve got to score tries and I can’t see him being dropped. The Sharks travel to Gloucester on Friday and will be looking to avenge their opening day defeat and continue their title charge in the process. Sale Sharks Starting XV: 15. Simon Hammersley, 14. Chris Ashton, 13, Sam James, 12. Luke James, 11. Marland Yarde, 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Coenie Oosthuizen, 2. Rob Webber, 3. Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4. Bryn Evans, 5. Jean-Luc du Preez, 6. Jono Ross (Capt.) 7. Mark Wilson, 8. Daniel du Preez. Replacements: 16. Curtis Langdon, 17. Ross Harrison, 18. Will-Griff John, 19. James Phillips, 20. Ben Curry, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Denny Solomona. Leicester Tigers Starting XV: 15. Telusa Veainu, 14. Jonah Holmes, 13. Jaco Tuate, 12. Kyle Eastmond, 11. Jordan Olowofela 10. Noel Reid, 9. Jack Van Poortvliet; 1. Greg Bateman, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3. Dan Cole (Capt), 4. Tomas Lavanini 5. Will Spencer, 6. Hanro Liebenberg, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Ifereimi Boladau. Replacements 16. Jake Kerr, 17. Nephi Leatigaga, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Joe Batley, 20. Harry Wells, 21. Sam Lewis, 22. Harry Simmons, 23. Johnny McPhillips
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