UK – Empresaria revenue and profits slow down

Empresaria Group plc (AIM: EMR), the international specialist staffing group has announced its unaudited interim results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2019 with revenue 2% lower in constant currency and operating profit sliding by almost a third. However, the company states that it is still...

UK - Chief Executive pay falls but is over 100 times higher than median salary

An annual assessment of FTSE 100 pay packages, released today, shows that median pay for chief executives fell by 13% between 2017 and 2018. However, the median CEO salary of £3.46 million a year is still more than 117 times that of the median UK full-time worker earning £29,574. In addition, 1,394...

UK – Pertemps’ salary sacrifice scheme is not an economic activity for VAT

In a decision dated 7 August 2019 (HMRC v Pertemps Ltd [2019] UKUT 234 (TCC)), the Upper Tax Tribunal dismissed HMRC’s appeal and held that the operation by Pertemps of a salary sacrifice scheme providing travel and subsistence expenses to employees working on temporary assignments was not an economic...

Switzerland – High growth in demand for sales specialists, Michael Page Swiss Job Index

According to the Michael Page Swiss Job Index, demand for sales specialists outpaced all other major job categories with +14.6% year-on-year growth to August 2019, and a monthly increase of +3.7%. Across Switzerland, advertised jobs declined by -5.0% between July and August, which is consistent with...

Poland – Temporary employment remains popular, but numbers fall

The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy reported that the number of temporary workers recruited by agencies in 2018 amounted to 776,144, a decrease of 87,681 from 2017.

According to the Polish News Bulletin, the decreasing number of temporary workers does not imply that the popularity of temporary...

Denmark: Jobindex downgrades expectations blaming stalled job market

Jobindex A/S (JOBNDX: CPH), the Danish job board announced its results for the second quarter with growth in net sales of 1% compared to Q2 2018 but EBITDA (excluding special items) down 7%.

The company believes the job market has stalled and has downgraded its expectations for the full year to net sales...

Sweden: SJR sees profits tumble over 60%

SJR in Scandinavia (SJRB: SS), the Swedish staffing company reported revenue for the second quarter ending 30 June 2019 2018 up slightly at 1% but both operating profit and profit after tax fell over 60%

According to the company, the increase in revenue was mainly due to the acquisition of Women Executive...

UK: Farmer regrets employing slaves via staffing agency

Derek Wilkinson, director of Sandfields Farms in Stratford-upon-Avon and Worcestershire, has spoken of his regret after discovering modern-day slaves were given work at his premises, according to the BBC, with two of the victims employed through a licensed recruitment agency.

"I regret that we've...

UK: Employees call £200 deductions for training 'unfair'

Costa Coffee employees at multiple stores claim they have had costs of £200 deducted from their final payslip for training, according to the BBC.

The BBC spoke to 13 current and former Costa employees at stores in Essex who say they have also been subjected to other deductions for till discrepancies...

Ireland: Agency spending “out of control”

Chris MacManus, Sinn Féin General Election candidate Councillor, has claimed temporary agency staff spending by the Irish Health Services (HSE) is out of control according to the Irish Independent.

Councillor MacManus said: "Figures released to Sinn Féin have shown how rampant spending on temporary...