Umbrella Accreditations: What Do They Really Mean?

6 Reasons to Question: Do Current Umbrella Certifications Carry Any Actual Assurance. In the relatively small world of UK umbrella companies, there exists a few certification bodies who, time-after-time will tell you that their assessment process is “industry leading and integral to the supply chain”. But, especially of late, there have been compounding questions about […]
Confusing Terms Explained

What does it all mean? It can be confusing as a contractor starting out when you hear so many acronyms mentioned by both your agency and Umbrella Company. You may hear things such as IR35, WTR, AWR, and SDC along with terms such as ‘Opting Out’. You will also see it on documentation that you […]
Umbrella PAYE & Deductions Explained

You’ve been asked to use an umbrella company, but one aspect that can be confusing is how an umbrella company calculates the salary payment you get at the end of each week or month. When you’re an employee of a company, the employer offers you an annual or hourly rate and calculates and deducts your […]
What are my Rights when Choosing an Umbrella Company?

Can my recruitment agency dictate what umbrella company I use? As IR35 approaches more contractors are seeking the services of umbrella companies throughout the UK. For the most part, umbrella companies are suggested to contractors from the recruitment agency associated with their relevant assignment. This is an attempt to help the contractor speed up the […]
SwanHealth and AWR

SwanHealth and The Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) What is AWR? AWR stands for Agency Workers Regulations (2010) and is a legislation designed specifically to protect agency workers from any discrimination in favour of permanent co-workers in the same role at the end client. Issues addressed by this legislation include pay rate, access to holidays and […]
WTR (Working Time Regulations) Explained

Working Time Regulations – Know the Facts… Being a contractor can mean many things; perhaps you’re working as a freelancer, operating through your own company, you’re self-employed or you’re working via an umbrella company. The way you operate may alter your rights in relation to Working Time Regulations, but we want to focus on our […]
How Does Holiday Pay Work With An Umbrella Company?

As yet another national lockdown has eased the newly found freedom has yet again inspired the travel bug within many of us. Summer is traditionally the season in which contractors take a well-earned break – though there is much to be said for a last-minute Winter getaway also. One of the more common questions we’re […]