press releases

As one of the top 50 companies for volume payment processing in the UK, we are one of the first umbrella employers to offer this volume payments process. The move will ensure giant employees have access to their money within two hours. This is significantly quicker than the current CHAPs payment system where employee’s money arrived in their bank accounts later in the day. Adopting Faster Payments also allows us to offer an extended deadline for advance payment requests, allowing them to apply for advanced funds up until 5pm every day.

In a speech to the Scottish Lib Dem conference, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, announced that a tax loophole that allows firms to avoid £100m a year in National Insurance will be closed under a new scheme. Mr Alexander said around 100,000 employees - mostly teachers, nurses and oil and gas workers - were believed to be paid through offshore payroll services set up in tax havens such as Jersey and Guernsey and these employees could be ineligible for statutory sick pay, but completely unaware of that status.

Matthew Brown, Managing Director of giant group commented on this news: “It’s great to hear that this issue has been highlighted, and at giant we welcome the tightening of the rules. The loophole originally meant that some workers were at risk of missing out on statutory support as their employers were not paying National Insurance. But with this new scheme in place, everyone will have access to a number of benefits, including statutory maternity or sick pay – should they need it.”

Matthew Brown, Managing Director of giant commented, “These results are perhaps unsurprising when you factor in the economic climate of the last few years.  Many individuals are still anxious about job security and therefore there is a desire for more long term contract opportunities.”

“This shortage means plenty of opportunities have arisen for supply teachers over the last year, and these opportunities will continue in 2013. Schools are increasingly in need of experienced supply teachers to plug staffing gaps, which is pushing teachers’ daily pay rates up.”

Department of Education figures from December 2012 showed that 47,700 teachers left their jobs in 2010-2011, up 19% from the 40,070 that left their jobs the year before. Supply teachers are also reporting shorter gaps between assignments, according to giant, with 86% of supply teachers surveyed reporting waits of less than a month between roles, up from 79% in 2011.

Better pay is becoming an increasingly important factor in teachers’ decisions to move from permanent roles to temporary ones, adds giant. 14% of supply teachers said pay was the most attractive aspect of temporary work, up from 10% a year ago. The most popular reason for choosing to become a supply teacher – ‘lifestyle’ – slipped from being the top choice of 56% of supply teachers in 2011to 47% in 2012.

Matthew Brown explains: “Many teachers now see supply work as a great way to increase their income as well as improve their lifestyle, with over a quarter of supply teachers we questioned rating financial benefits as the biggest advantage when it comes to supply work.”

“The supply teacher lifestyle has mostly maintained its appeal, with a greater sense of freedom still the most important reason for teachers to turn to supply work. The recession has boosted financial concerns up teachers’ list of priorities at the expense of lifestyle attractions, but the appeal of an improved work-life balance is still strong.”

“This has created plenty of fresh opportunities for IT contractors. Demand for new IT investment has blossomed as managers hunt for efficiencies, while IT contractors are needed to plug holes in staffing capabilities and implement these new IT systems.” IT contractors surveyed by giant were most confident about opportunities in the support services sector, with 26% saying they expected this sector to produce the most new jobs over the next 12 months. This is up from 22% a year ago and 19% in 2010.

However, giant says that IT contractors are less optimistic about job opportunities in the financial services. 19% of contractors surveyed believe this sector will create the most new jobs over the next 12 months, down on the 23% who felt the same this time last year, and significantly down on the 35% who were most confident about the sector in 2010.

Matthew Brown says: “The financial services sector has continued to experience a tough time in 2012 as the UK entered a double-dip recession and financial services continue to suffer from the aftermath of the banking crisis. This has limited the demand for new IT contractor roles.”