Professional Passport is a compliance and quality standard for the temporary labour market in the UK. It was launched in 2016 as a response to changes in legislation that made end-clients and recruitment agencies responsible for ensuring that temporary workers were paid fairly and had the right to work in the UK.
Professional Passport is a voluntary accreditation scheme that sets out a series of standards that recruitment agencies and other labour providers can meet to demonstrate their compliance with UK law and good practices in the temporary labour market. The standards cover a range of areas, including tax and national insurance compliance, employment rights, and health and safety.
Why was the Professional Passport introduced?
Professional Passport was first introduced in response to concerns about the treatment of temporary workers in the UK. In particular, there was growing evidence of non-compliance with tax and employment law, as well as poor working conditions and low pay.
In 2014, the UK government launched a review of the temporary labour market, which found evidence of widespread non-compliance with employment law and a lack of transparency in the way that temporary workers were paid. The review recommended a range of measures to improve compliance and transparency, including the introduction of a quality standard for the temporary labour market. Professional Passport was developed in response to this recommendation, with the aim of promoting good practice and ensuring that temporary workers are treated fairly and legally.
How does Professional Passport work?
Professional Passport is a voluntary accreditation scheme, which means that recruitment agencies and other labour providers can choose to apply for accreditation if they meet the relevant standards. The scheme is open to all labour providers, regardless of size or sector.
To become accredited, a labour provider must undergo an assessment by the Professional Passport team. The assessment covers a range of areas, including tax and national insurance compliance, employment rights, and health and safety. The labour provider must provide evidence that they meet the relevant standards in each of these areas.
Once a labour provider has been accredited, they can use the Professional Passport logo and other branding to demonstrate their compliance with the relevant standards. The accreditation is valid for a set period, after which the labour provider must undergo a reassessment to ensure that they continue to meet the relevant standards.
What are the benefits of a Professional Passport?
There are a number of benefits to becoming accredited by Professional Passport. These include:
- Improved compliance: Accreditation demonstrates to clients, workers, and regulators that a labour provider is complying with UK law and good practice in the temporary labour market.
- Competitive advantage: Accreditation can provide a competitive advantage in a crowded market, as clients are increasingly looking for labour providers who can demonstrate their compliance and quality standards.
- Better working conditions: By meeting the relevant standards, labour providers can ensure that their workers are treated fairly and legally, and are working in safe and healthy conditions.
- Reduced risk: Accreditation can help to reduce the risk of legal action or financial penalties for non-compliance with UK law.
In summary, Professional Passport is a voluntary accreditation scheme for the temporary labour market in the UK. It sets out a series of standards that labour providers can meet to demonstrate their compliance with UK law and good practice and provides a range of benefits to those who become accredited. If you wish to learn more, visit our website or get in contact with our team. We will be happy to help you!
