Umbrella Company UK is a SafeRec certified umbrella company. SafeRec provides our umbrella employees with revolutionary transparency and helps our partnered recruitment agencies make referrals, knowing their candidates are truly in the safest hands. In this article, we’ve asked Sarah O’Toole, Operations Director at Umbrella Company UK, some questions about SafeRec and why our certification is so much more than just an extra logo on our website.
An interview with Sarah O’Toole, Operations Director at Umbrella Company UK
Umbrella Company UK was one of the first umbrellas in the UK to obtain SafeRec certification. However, how much do you know about SafeRec and the many benefits it provides umbrella employees and recruitment agencies that refer temporary workers to payroll providers?
Our Operations Director, Sarah O’Toole, has answered some important questions about SafeRec and why Umbrella Company UK is proud to be a certified member. The original interview is available on the Umbrella Company UK directory listing on the official SafeRec website. Please click here.
Tell us a bit more about yourself and what led you to start Umbrella Company UK?
“In 2019, Umbrella Company UK was launched. From day one, my main focus was ensuring we operated compliantly with robust processes and procedures (while achieving excellent customer service). As one of the Directors, I am extremely proud of our current position and the partnerships we have built. Long may these continue.”
What is special about Umbrella Company UK?
“Since the day we launched in 2019, our only objective was to ensure we provided a compliant service with excellent customer service. From the day we went live, we made it our mission to obtain the prestigious FCSA accreditation, and we’re delighted to remain an FCSA member.
However, despite the many advantages of FCSA accreditation, we still continued the search for additional partnerships and certifications that would further strengthen our status as a compliance-driven umbrella company within our sector. Now that we’re a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company, I am confident we are providing the very best levels of transparency and compliance within the sector, and our candidates and referring agencies are in the safest hands.”
What convinced you to become a SafeRec Certified Umbrella Company?
“We wanted to learn more as soon as we heard about SafeRec and the real-time audits available to our employees. SafeRec helps us provide a level of transparency that, until now, simply had not been possible. We’re extremely grateful to the SafeRec team for producing such an innovative tool that unquestionably strengthens our position within the supply chain and ensures our candidates and referring partners are in the best hands.”
What are your aspirations for Umbrella Company UK?
“Our goal is to provide a transparent and compliant service to the UK’s temporary workforce and ensure that our employees feel secure when paid. The same applies to our partners in the recruitment industry. We want them always to be 100% comfortable when referring candidates to us.
We are proud of our FCSA membership and SafeRec certification because they help set us apart from most umbrella companies in the UK. However, we are not a company that is prepared to stand still. I will always be looking for new ways to improve the service we offer our employees and partnered agencies and for new ways to improve internal operations and compliance.
Umbrella Company UK already has an excellent reputation within the sector. However, we always aspire to be better. I want to be seen as the umbrella company setting the standards in the UK and I want Umbrella Company UK to be the first umbrella company that comes to mind when stakeholders discuss trustworthy and compliant payroll providers.”
What are your aspirations for the Umbrella Industry as a whole?
“Most umbrella companies provide a reliable and transparent service. However, it’s no secret that a small number have damaged the industry’s reputation by acting unethically (salary skimming, for example) or facilitating tax avoidance.
Regulations are long overdue, and I fully support them. However, I want the government to introduce meaningful regulations to protect the UK’s temporary workforce. Tax avoidance schemes have been around for dozens of years, and it seems that the criminals behind them get away with it most of the time – leaving vulnerable contractors and freelancers to suffer the consequences.”
What would you say to workers, agencies, and end clients who don’t work with Umbrella Company UK yet and aren’t aware of SafeRec Payroll Certification?
“Temporary workers, recruitment professionals and end-hirers will all benefit from having a SafeRec-certified umbrella company in the supply chain because SafeRec offers something entirely new to the sector – real-time compliance reporting.
Every time a contractor is paid, they receive an instant report on their payslip, allowing them to check they’ve been paid under HMRC’s rules and regulations. With this knowledge, why would they consider an umbrella without SafeRec certification?
The same applies to recruitment professionals. Staffing agencies have a lot of serious responsibilities when referring candidates to a payroll provider, and legislation such as the Criminal Finances Act must be adhered to. SafeRec allows them to receive ongoing compliance reports for all their candidates paid by an umbrella (assuming the umbrella is SafeRec certified). Again, with this knowledge, why would an agency have non-SafeRec certified umbrella companies on their PSL?
If you work for a recruitment agency or end-hirer and you would like to find out more about SafeRec and the many reasons you should add Umbrella Company UK to your agency’s PSL, please give us a call on 01707 669023 or email agency@umbrellacompanyuk.co.uk. Our team is on hand to provide you with a SafeRec demo and to run through the numerous benefits available to your business and candidates.”
The questions above have been answered by Sarah O’Toole, Operations Director at Umbrella Company UK.
Contact Umbrella Company UK today and request a free, tailored take-home pay calculation
Accredited by the FCSA and certified by SafeRec, Umbrella Company UK is setting the compliance standards in the umbrella company marketplace. Our objectives are simple – to provide a compliant and reliable service for contractors and staff agencies while ensuring our customer services is second to none.
To request a free, tailored umbrella company calculation, please complete the short form here or call our friendly Sales Professionals on 01707 669023.
By registering with Umbrella Company UK, you will benefit from:
- A very competitive margin. Contact us today for a quotation/calculation.
- Easy registration process, with ongoing support available.
- Peace of mind thanks to our professional accreditation with the FCSA and our SafeRec certification.
- Real-time payslip audit reports that will help you understand that you have been paid in accordance with HMRC’s rules and regulations.
- Free £25 million insurance cover.
- Same Day Faster Payments – we’ll send you your funds on the same day we receive them from your agency/end-hirer.
- Employee Benefits, including Statutory Sick Pay and Statutory Maternity/Paternity Pay.
- Extra assistance during the onboarding process – to ensure you’re completely satisfied with our service.
- Salary sacrifice – The perfect way to tax-efficiently boost your pension pot. We’re one of the few umbrellas to offer salary sacrifice.
