Recruitment agency to be investigated for ‘criminal behaviour’
28 November 2014
The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) is to report one of its own members to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, as well as launch its own investigation, due to what appears to be criminal activity.
Fri, 28 Nov 2014The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) is to report one of its own members to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, as well as launch its own investigation, due to what appears to be criminal activity.
Watchdog, a programme which screens investigative reports on rogue traders on BBC One, last night [27 November] aired footage of staff at Age Enterprise (trading as Connect London) telling candidates they could only access recruitment services if they took paid training courses through the business.
REC chief executive Kevin Green said in a statement this morning the confederation would be reporting the company to the inspectorate, part of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, “so they can fully investigate what on the face of it looks like criminal activity”.
The trade body has also today launched its own investigation.
“Industry regulations are very clear. A recruitment business cannot make it necessary for a workseeker to use them for training in order to access recruitment services. This is a breach of the conduct regulations and entirely unacceptable practice which exploits jobseekers,” Green said.
He said the behaviour of this business risked tarnishing the reputations of “tens of thousands of honest hardworking recruiters” around the UK.
The agency inspectorate can prosecute the company. Court action could see the people involved fined and/or banned from running recruitment businesses.
While the company is an REC member, it has not passed its compliance test, which all members must do by the end of this year.
“To be an REC member an agency must adhere to all necessary laws and regulations and act in accordance with our code of professional practice. Serious breaches of the code lead to expulsion. We have also introduced a rigorous compliance test that all agencies must pass by the end of 2014 in order to remain in REC membership,” Green said.
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Watchdog, a programme which screens investigative reports on rogue traders on BBC One, last night [27 November] aired footage of staff at Age Enterprise (trading as Connect London) telling candidates they could only access recruitment services if they took paid training courses through the business.
REC chief executive Kevin Green said in a statement this morning the confederation would be reporting the company to the inspectorate, part of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, “so they can fully investigate what on the face of it looks like criminal activity”.
The trade body has also today launched its own investigation.
“Industry regulations are very clear. A recruitment business cannot make it necessary for a workseeker to use them for training in order to access recruitment services. This is a breach of the conduct regulations and entirely unacceptable practice which exploits jobseekers,” Green said.
He said the behaviour of this business risked tarnishing the reputations of “tens of thousands of honest hardworking recruiters” around the UK.
The agency inspectorate can prosecute the company. Court action could see the people involved fined and/or banned from running recruitment businesses.
While the company is an REC member, it has not passed its compliance test, which all members must do by the end of this year.
“To be an REC member an agency must adhere to all necessary laws and regulations and act in accordance with our code of professional practice. Serious breaches of the code lead to expulsion. We have also introduced a rigorous compliance test that all agencies must pass by the end of 2014 in order to remain in REC membership,” Green said.
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