Web-based service SignatureSense.com is gaining momentum in the recruitment industry by allowing contracts to be signed online, by all parties, in a matter of minutes.

The conventional approach to signing and returning contracts (a combination of post / fax and email) is often the ‘bottle neck’ in an otherwise efficient placement process.

Larger big-budget agencies have been using “electronic signatures” to sign contracts for years, however SignatureSense’s low monthly subscription fee for agencies makes this modern business practice available to even the smallest of companies.

Alan Whitford, industry veteran and founder of RCEuro.com, the Pan European community site for recruiters, commented on SignatureSense:

“I think that this offering should be a ‘no brainer’ for recruitment businesses, where the time lost in the administrivia of contract administration can lead to lost revenue and poor client service.  The electronic signature ‘wrapper’ is ideal for confirming NDAs, Terms of Business and Contractor Agreements, all in real time. We will certainly be using the service for our future agreements at RCEuro.”

Jon Richardson, Founder of SignatureSense added:

“We are really excited to see that Agencies find such a direct benefit in using our service.  It’s only a matter of time before electronic signatures are common-place, so the ‘early adopters’ are making the most of a great competitive advantage.”

Redego are now able to offer real-time reporting of working hours to agencies.  This enables agencies to ensure that the Working Time Regulations (WTR) are being complied with and the added ability to plan future projects with reference to hours worked.

Agencies can view reports showing which contractors are close to exceeding their maximum average hours.  This makes compliance and planning much easier for agency consultants.  Whilst we always ensured our workers are given their statutory rights, this new system shows agencies and their clients that we are doing this and gives them the ability to use the data to plan future work.

The new online system is especially useful for workers on project rates where it has been difficult to monitor rest breaks.

Its proving particularly popular with agencies who engage manual workers on project rates – the risks of injury and reducing quality of work are much greater for these categories and end-clients want to know its being managed properly.

The new online system lets workers input their rest breaks with the click of a mouse as they submit their timesheet and is very simple for contractors to use.

Under the WTD regulations, all employers have to ensure that workers have adequate rest-breaks:

• maximum hours worked – avg 48 per week in 17 week rolling period
• adequate rest breaks, so workers do no more than:
  • 13 hours in any 24 hour period (day) – cap of 13 x 6 = 78 hours
  • 1 days off (rest days) in every 7 day period (week)
  • statutory minimum holiday periods (28 days not working in addition to ‘rest days’)

Whilst this is the responsibility of the employer (the umbrella company), most clients and agencies reckonise their responsibilty in ensuring they only use compliant umbrella companies that can show they are acting responsibly to protect workers’ welfare.

Another benefit of the new system is greater accuracy when calculating contractors’ National Minimum Wage (NMW) which is a key contractual element of remuneration in most umbrella companies.  Getting this wrong, can attract attention from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) both on breach of NMW legislation but also PAYE/NIC compliance as contractor expense claims are invariably affected by minimum wage.

Do you know anyone who would benefit from our services? If you refer a friend to Redego you’ll receive £100 per referral! *

Click here and submit their email address and contact number and we will do the rest!

* Once you’ve both completed 6 weeks payroll with Redego.

Many Redego contractors are now benefiting from our tax saving Pension Scheme.

Any contributions made to the Pension are completely tax free (PAYE and National Insurance) making it an excellent way to save tax and plan for the future.

Benefits include:

- Gain from up to 48% tax relief at source

- No set-up fees whatsoever and low running costs

- Flexible investment levels, you decide what goes into the scheme each month

- Its fully portable (you are free to continue investing if you leave Redego)

- We can help consolidate any other pensions at no cost

Contact Kate Woodhatch now on 0845 062 8888 to get this up and running and start to save you tax and NI from your very next invoice.

Alternatively you can email Redego@contractorfinancials.com for further details.

When the suggestion of adding a blog to Redego’s website came up in a meeting not so long ago, I thought that I would be a good-a-person as any to try my hand at writing something that could be construed as being interesting to read. I figured that a blog was simply my own explanation of a particular topic, or just my general ramblings structured into a diary-esq. format.