Following the formation of our new Independent Arbitration Panel (IAP) here at the FCSA, we’ve noticed some online discussions about how we serve the contractor community and where the new panel terms fit in.
In this piece, exclusively for ContractorUK, I want to explain what the association does, how we deal with complaints, and outline our overall stance on compliance by member companies, writes Chris Bryce, CEO of the Freelancer & Contractor Services Association.
Firstly, let me point out that FCSA is a not-for-profit trade association. We’re not a regulator or statutory body.
We’re also not a ‘for-profit’ company with shareholders or owners expecting dividends or profits. And, just like many other trade associations, we require our members to meet certain standards.
Unlike any other organisation in the UK contractor sector that we know of, we are open and transparent about our codes -- in that we publish them on our website. These codes are reviewed and updated by us with input from tax and legal experts, other industry bodies such as the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and the Association of Professional Staffing Companies, government stakeholders such as BEIS and HMRC. We also consult from time-to-time with other organisations working in our field. When we have completed the review, the codes are previewed to members for comment, and then published for all to see.
Then, members are regularly assessed against these codes....
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