Guide to working as an interim For tax professionals
Introduction Brewer Morris was established in 1987 as the UK s first recruitment consultancy to focus exclusively on the recruitment of tax professionals and is firmly established as a market leader in the field. Our Interim team offers considered solutions that meet your temporary and contract recruitment needs exactly - and quickly. From the Big 4 and national practices through to the world s largest companies and financial institutions, at Brewer Morris, we re well versed in placing people across all tax disciplines and levels into a complete cross section of clients. In the past temping and career were rarely associated in the same sentence. However, things have changed and these days temping is no longer seen as a stopgap or makeshift solution. Downsizing, global competition and rapidly changing business landscape have conspired to make temps a vital part of any strategic staffing plan. n interim solution is not only a reliable source of regular, well paid work, it is the single most effect way to broaden your skills base and enhance your CV. If you are looking for permanent employment, keeping your skills sharp in a temporary role will make you more attractive to prospective employers. From our 24 years of experience here at Brewer Morris, we have evidence to suggest temps have more chance of being interviewed than someone holding out for the perfect job. Mo Hanslod ssociate Director 95 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4HN T: 020 7415 2800
Q What does the interim market offer to candidates? Candidates are often unaware of the interim market and how it can benefit them until later in their career, when they have gained the confidence and the gravitas to take the step into this robust marketplace. Common reasons why an interim role might be an attractive option: Lifestyle decision: People often find themselves looking at immediate roles unexpectedly, when their personal needs become more urgent due to redundancy, breaks for travelling, and various other circumstances. It s an immediate alternative to unemployment, with work available across different sectors, and with little bias towards candidates from one background to the next Expand your skills: Temporary work in different environments and different industry sectors is the single most effective way of broadening your skills base and enhancing your CV. Inevitably this could lead to longer term opportunities ccess to the world s top employers: t Brewer Morris, we are the world s first specialist tax recruitment company, and therefore have links with more top employers than anyone else on a global scale. s a result we are exclusive suppliers of temporary staff to a myriad of high profile organizations across the globe and can offer you an unrivalled choice of assignments Remuneration: Salaries are proving to be a prominent reason to choose interim positions over permanent roles, particularly at the senior end, where salaries can be up to 30% higher. But even at the more junior end, contract or hourlyrate salaries can be 5-10% higher than permanent roles. Clients are paying for immediate technical expertise, and for an individual with the adaptability to arrive in a foreign environment and add significant values
Q What can I expect to earn as a interim employee Below are brief details of what a candidate can expect to earn as a temporary contractor. Commerce/FS rates Tax ccountant 20-30 per hour Tax Manager 30-40 per hour Senior Tax Manager 40-55 per hour Head of tax 55-150 per hour Practice and law firm rates Semi Seniors 15-20 per hour Tax Seniors 20-30 per hour Managers Tax Senior Managers 30-35 per hour 40-50+ per hour Q How is the interim market different? 1. Temporary assignments n individual working on a temporary assignment will usually be paid on an hourly or daily basis and will be payrolled by a recruitment company. ll the administration is dealt with by the recruitment company, which pays the temporary worker weekly. n individual may either work on a PYE basis in which case the agency deals with the tax, or via a Limited Company of which the temporary worker is a Director, in which case the Company deals with all tax issues. 2. Fixed-term contract Contractors are recruited for a fixed period by a company or firm. They are usually paid by the company or firm on a monthly basis in the same way as a permanent employee. The contractor s salary is likely to be expressed as an annual salary (pro-rated). Contractors may be tied into longer notice periods than a temporary worker. 3. PYE If you are working as a temporary worker through Brewer Morris will automatically deduct PYE (Pay as you Earn) tax and NI from your salary. 4. Limited Company We strongly advise that you take independent professional advice regarding the set up and operation of the company to ensure that you comply with the Government s antitax avoidance legislation; IR35. We are unable to deal with individuals working via a Managed Service Company. We require that individuals working through Limited Companies have their own professional indemnity insurance. The rate that Brewer Morris will pay individuals working through a Limited Company will include NI (13.8%).
Q Will I be entitled to holidays and how does this work? ll temporary PYE contractors accrue holiday entitlement which will enable you to book and be paid for up to 28 days holiday per year. Under this accrued system, as a PYE contractor you have a statutory right to 28 days paid holiday per year. This is accrued in proportion to the amount of time you work continuously on a single assignment within the leave year. How it works The leave year will consist of 52 weeks commencing on the date your assignment commences. ny leave accrued is required to be taken by the end of the leave year or it will expire and you will lose the entitlement to any days or monies accrued. You are not entitled to take annual leave within the first 2 weeks of any assignment. Thereafter, you should give no less than ten working days written notice to the Firm before taking leave. You cannot request holiday payment if you have not taken time off. Holiday accrual in practice You will accrue 0.53 (28 days divided by 52 weeks available to work) paid holiday days for every week you work. Your holiday entitlement will be shown on your payslip, so please refer to this rather than contacting Payroll Services. The pay rate will be calculated as a result of your average standard pay over the 12 weeks prior to the holiday. ny leave entitlement is rounded up to the nearest half or full day for the purposes of booking holiday. Please note: if your assignment ends part way through a holiday year, you will be entitled to a payment in lieu of accrued, but untaken holiday. The renewal of an assignment at the same client will continue the accrual process. If you need any further information please contact your recruitment consultant or the SR Group s Payroll Services department.
Q What are the gency Worker Regulations ( the WR )? Known as the the equal treatment principle, the Regulations are concerned with giving agency workers the same basic employment and working conditions they would have enjoyed had they been directly employed by the end user. Some equal treatment rights will apply from day one of an assignment (these are known as day one rights ). Q What does equal treatment cover? Equal treatment will apply to basic working and employment conditions including: Duration of working time Overtime Breaks Rest periods Night work Holidays Public holidays pay Terms and conditions ordinarily included in employee contracts (for example, collective agreements, pay scales, company handbooks) Other matters of custom and practice in the workplace concerned (for example, access to facilities) These conditions should be the same for an agency worker as for employees directly recruited by the hirer to do the same role.
What does equal treatment in relation to pay Qinclude? Equal treatment in relation to pay includes basic pay plus other contractual entitlements directly linked to the work undertaken by the agency worker whilst on assignment, such as: Payment for overtime Shift allowances Unsocial hour premiums Bonuses that are directly linked to the quality or quantity of work done by an agency worker Q Who do the Regulations apply to? The Regulations apply to all agency workers including those employed via umbrella companies or other intermediaries. Workers who are genuinely employed on their own account are excluded (e.g selfemployed or working through a corporate vehicle).
Q How does the interim interview process differ? The process is all lead by the urgency of the role. Decision making can vary from as little as an hour to 3 weeks. There are typically a maximum of two stages in the interview process, in some cases a working interview will be appropriate. Is the interview technique different? Q Yes, because the process is shorter therefore, first impressions are imperative. Candidates need to communicate that they can hit the ground running and use relevant examples of their experience relating to the role/ project Impress with a confident approach Interview questions/answers need to be concise and relevant Flexibility is absolutely key in terms of being able to work autonomously or within a team Don t think this will be just an informal chat be just as prepared as if it were a permanent interview Q Do I discuss salary details? Generally speaking, no. This discussion should be directed to your consultant who will aim to negotiate the most competitive rate for you.
Established in 1987 Brewer Morris was the UK s first recruitment consultancy to focus exclusively on the recruitment of taxation professionals. We are firmly established as a market leader and take great pride in the enormous number of long-term working relationships that we have developed throughout the tax world. Brewer Morris is a member of The SR Group. The SR Group is a specialist recruitment consultancy dedicated to raising standards in the business environments that we serve. The sectors we cover include tax, legal, human resources, marketing, professional support and executive search, dealing with a substantial number of the world s leading professional partnerships, multi-national corporations and international banking groups as well as small to medium sized developing organisations. For more information please contact: Mo Hanslod E: mohanslod@ Yasna Klarin E: yasnaklarin@ T: +44 (0) 20 7415 2800 London 95 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4HN T: +44 (0)20 7415 2800 Singapore 30 Cecil Street #21-03/04 Prudential Tower Singapore 049712 T: +65 6420 0500 Dubai Suite 614, Liberty House DIFC PO Box 506739 T: +9714 448 7770 Melbourne Level 2, Rialto North Tower, 525 Collins Street Melbourne, VIC 3000 T: +61 (0)3 8610 8420 Hong Kong 1918 Hutchinson House 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong T: +852 2973 6333 Sydney Level 12, 25 Bligh Street Sydney NSW 2000 T: +61 (0)2 9221 0099 Brewer Morris is a member of The SR Group