The IIM In The Media

19 December 2007

Keen readers of the press will have spotted a number of appearances in the press recently through contributions from the Institute’s directors.

Leading the way was a letter from Tony Evans, Institute Chairman, in the Financial Times on the topic of the Temporary Workers Directive, which Portugal, the current EU president, has been trying to revive after a long period in limbo.

For those that missed it, Tony’s letter is reproduced below:

Sir, Your report "Brown set for EU showdown on temps" (December 4) provides the welcome news that the government will continue to resist the EU’s misguided attempts to push through regulations that would seriously damage the flexible labour markets that are a precondition for economic competitiveness in Europe.

The government has already acted to give rights to low-paid temporary workers it was concerned to protect from unscrupulous agencies. The UK act is in line with EU directives, but following representation from bodies such as ourselves the government has allowed an opt-out clause for workers and executives such as professional interim managers. This has enabled professional interims and other self-employed people to operate contracts correctly through commercial law and avoid being caught up inadvertently as employment law "collateral damage".

The proposed EU version for temporary agency workers is a major issue for professional interims and others who provide a business-to-business service and are not looking for "employment protection" in any way.

Tony Evans,
Chairman,
Institute of Interim Management,
West Byfleet, Surrey KT14 6JB

The comments in the letter were reflected in On-line Recruitment magazine and Google News.

The Institute’s comments on the new Money Laundering Regulations have also featured well in the media, with articles and press releases picked up in:

• BackgroundChecking.com (Experian)
• On-line Recruitment magazine
• TerrorismCentral on-line info system

The Institute has also been at pains to insist that a distinction is seen between professional interim managers (for whom it is a career choice and who provide a business-to-business service) and others who may be 'passing through' or 'between (permanent) jobs'. The Institute sees a professional interim's relationship with clients as being a commercial one, based on a 'contract for services' rather than an employment-type 'contract of service', with all the legal, regulatory and tax implications of the difference. Such distinctions have recently been made in articles in People Management and HR Zone.