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As a market leader in digital and IT recruitment, with a 34-year history of successfully providing tailor-made solutions for both national and international businesses, Church International Ltd has recently partnered with an award-winning cloud and digital transformation business. As part of our TLC offering, we were engaged by them to undertake reviews of their existing contractor base and future strategy so that accurate IR35 decisions could be made with joined-up thinking and working in partnership.

The challenge.

As a successful and growing business, they understood that the impending (albeit delayed) IR35 legislation was something they would have to make considerable arrangements to adhere to. However, like many businesses who are grappling with this important and complex issue, they recognized that they didn’t have the appropriate skills internally to adequately prepare for this. As a business who have striven to become leaders in managing this process, Church International Ltd is proud of the reputation we have gained in being able to successfully navigate this challenge. As a result, our client engaged with us to offer a solution.

The solution.

A full review of their business was conducted, over several face-to-face meetings with our client’s Senior Leaders. Each individual was able to provide a detailed insight into and thorough analysis of their short, medium, and long-term strategic plans for their part of the business. Engaging with and having access to all key stakeholders allowed us to get a 360 view of our client, allowing us to understand and work with them as a partner. After detailed discussions with our MD, Brian Fitzgerald, it was quickly established that at that time they would be exempt from the new IR35 legislation. But, taking into account their exciting plans for future growth, it became clear that they would soon need to put in place a detailed plan about how they would remain IR35 compliant as they grew and their status changed.

As a result, he provided an outline of the suite of options that we could provide. As a business that already has a highly experienced legal and compliance team in place we were in a great position to provide bespoke solutions to their entire team, should it be required. Our team undertook a detailed review of our client's Contractor base and assessed each assignment on a case-by-case basis. Being experts on this matter, we were able to provide at least 3 options to each Consultant which outlined what impact being IR35 compliant would mean to them personally. We successfully managed the process and administration of moving solutions, if required. By doing so we were able to remove any complexity, time, and cost to both the client and the Consultants and future proof against any change to the exemption criteria under the off-payroll reforms.

The benefits.

As a result, we are now successfully managing our client’s associate pool on their behalf. This allows them to continue to operate compliant with IR35 legislation, safe in the knowledge that they have partnered with an organization that will ensure that their associate pool will remain compliant should any future amendments be made to this legislation. By tapping into our expertise, our client has been able to utilize the full range of services that we can offer – consultation, associate management, and legal and compliance guidance. This has had the additional benefit of allowing them to realize a valuable new revenue stream, which has generated an additional ￡500,000 in turnover for our client’s business. We engage with our clients as equals, not just service providers. We listen to them and adapt our approach to suit them. We put solutions in place that work. But, most importantly, we become a trusted partner and an extension of their business. We are taking affirmative action to ensure that clients have IR35 on their radar and to provide information and guidance to contractors and clients as part of our extensive service offering, here at Church International, ensuring that accurate IR35 decisions can be made with joined-up thinking whilst working in partnership.

If you are a client looking at the implication of IR35 on your organization, and the impact on your contingent workforce, or if you are a contractor who wants to gain more insight into the implications of IR35 on your continued contract career, please register your interest in receiving our IR35 updates or taking part in our regular briefings, by calling Brian Fitzgerald on 01622 620 719 or emailing him at [email protected].