A recent decision by the High Court considered whether an online directory operated as an employment agency.
A recent decision by the High Court considered whether an online directory operated as an employment agency. The court's analysis of the nature of these services provides a useful framework for determining when an entity is really operating as an intermediary.
According to its website, Spotlight, has been "connecting talented performers with exciting roles" for almost a century. But exactly how much of a matchmaker is it? Earlier this year Equity, the performing arts union, sought a declaration from the High Court that Talent Systems Europe (which trades as Spotlight) is an employment agency under s. 13(2) of the Employment Agencies Act 1973. The decision in Spotlight's favour is a useful clarification on the scope of the statutory definition.
The Act defines "employment agency" as "the business... of providing services....for the purposes of finding employment...". Despite the potential breadth of this definition, there has been little case law exploring its boundaries.
Entities deemed to be employment agencies are subject to a range of regulatory requirements and oversight by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. These restrictions – set out, for these purposes in the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 - include when the agency may impose charges on work seekers.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen got sued by an MEP. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET 17 September 2025 Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea filed an action against European Commission President Urs...