LinkedIn recently released its Global Talent Trends Report for 2022, taking a close look at the evolution of company culture and its future prospects.
The report revealed that 41% of the global workforce have said that they are likely to consider leaving their jobs within the next 12 months – if they haven’t already. In August of 2021 alone, 4.3 million workers across the world quit their jobs, causing labour shortages in all regions from China, to the United States, to Germany.
Alongside this, it also found that job seekers have become pickier than ever, and are viewing nearly twice as many ads before applying than they were in 2019.
As a result, companies are having to work smarter than ever before on their branding to win over top talent. The focus is no longer on tools and tech, it’s about mindset, desires and expectations. Candidates are looking for personalised messaging about flexibility, inclusive benefits and internal mobility rates – with posts seeing a 67% engagement boost when company culture is mentioned.
The report also says that companies need to give agency to their employees to carve out their own work life that best complements their personal situations. Investing in the onboarding process is a great way to do this, by personalising for new hires and offering a support structure for success.
Failure to do these things could drive down employee satisfaction levels, and drive them towards looking for other employment in the ‘Great Reshuffle’.
CK Group was one of 28 suppliers recently recognised at a virtual ceremony by KellyOCG, the outsourcing and consulting group of Kelly, with a Supplier Excellence Award. The award celebrates the superior workforce solutions that CK has provided, with a focus on service, results, and a strategic partnership that have made a significant positive impact on the KellyOCG business.
Award winners represent top-performing suppliers across North America, EMEA and APAC, and make up less than 1% of the total KellyOCG supply chain – which includes 3000 active partnerships across 140 countries.
The tenth annual event celebrated this year’s honourees, which included four diversity-owned suppliers within the KellyOCG Supplier Excellence and Going the Extra Mile award categories, as well as a Rookie of the Year award recipient.
CK Group was one of 26 Supplier Excellence Award winners. Winners in this category are evaluated on performance across several programs for hires, response and hit rates, legal compliance, and operational partnerships with Kelly Stakeholders.
“Our global supplier community is essential to supporting our customers with talent solutions that solve their most challenging workforce needs, and move their business forwards. We congratulate all of our 2021 Supplier Award winners and thank them for their ongoing partnership and support” said Pam Sands, Vice President of Product Management and Partnerships for Kelly. “CK Group is among an elite group of high-performing suppliers who are critical to the work of the future. We’re honoured to recognise them for their expectional performance connecting customers with the full spectrum of top talent around the world.”
Jonathan Hart-Smith, Director of CK Group, said “We are delighted to have won the Supplier Excellence Award for the seventh time, an award that is received by less than 1% of the global supplier base. I would like to congratulate and thank our Key Accounts Team for all of their hard work and accomplishments, they have made a real difference to many peoples’ lives.”
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, which each year aims to help people understand and deal with issues relating to our mental health.
This year, the theme is loneliness.
One in four adults say they feel lonely some or all of the time. Unfortunately, there’s no single cause or solution, and some individuals are more at risk than others. It continues to be exacerbated across the nation by the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including hybrid or fully-remote working.
Whilst loneliness within an office environment can be tackled more easily, by having a good work-life balance or going for lunch with a friend, it can be more difficult for those who work from home some or all of the time. It becomes not only harder to overcome, but also harder for others to spot the signs.
We put out a poll on LinkedIn to find out how those who work remotely deal with loneliness, and what they’ve found to be the most helpful for tackling it.
Here’s what they said.
Scheduling regular catch ups with your manager
This was our top response
By now, we’re all well-versed on video calls and virtual meetings. But taking some time out of your job to have an in-depth catch up with your team leader can be incredibly important and helpful. Use this time to speak about any concerns you have, or areas where you may need more support.
Doing this regularly will help you feel less lonely, and more listened-to. Issues will be resolved quicker, and you’ll build a stronger bond with your colleagues.
Working outside of your home for a day
Another popular response on our poll.
Whilst remote working offers many benefits, including reduced travel time and costs, it’s not always helpful for our minds.
It’s good to get out of the house for a change of scenery and to meet with people face-to-face, rather than via a screen. This gives the benefit of being able to work more collaboratively and spend lunchtimes with others, without pressure forcing you to be there.
If your employer no longer has a physical office, you could look for coffee shops or co-working spaces in your area to meet up with colleagues, such as through WeWork or Spaces. These offer relaxed, social environments where you can work at your own pace, in your own way.
Organising social events outside of work regularly
Whilst you may not want, or be able, to meet up with your colleagues within a work environment, scheduling social events out of hours can be a great way to combat loneliness.
This can help you feel more like part of a community, as well as force you to put the laptop away once the work day is over. To add to that, team building events can be a great way to get to know your co-workers on a more personal level.
It’s not all about work, so ensuring you have a good work-life balance is imperative to a healthy mind.
For more information on maintaining good mental health, visit the Mental Health Foundation online here.
This year, World Health Day is focusing attention on the urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy, as WHO estimates that 13 million deaths annually are as a result of avoidable environmental causes.
The climate crisis continues to exacerbate health issues in humans, with cases of heart disease and cancer, as well as obesity, continuing to rise. It is also contributing to:
90% of humans across the globe breathing unclean air
Plastic making its way into the deepest oceans, and even our food chain
Mosquitoes carrying diseases farther and faster than ever before
Increased greenhouse gas emissions from unhealth food and drinks manufacturers
The Covid-19 pandemic has also highlighted issues and inequalities in our world. The current design of our economy distributes wealth and power unfairly, leaving too many people living in poverty without access to proper healthcare and leading to even more avoidable deaths.
Shifting to a well-being economy would put ecological sustainability, equity and human health at the forefront. It would help to break destructive and damaging cycles, by putting in place legislative action and incentivizing healthier choices.
Both the climate crisis and pandemic have highlighted the power of science, and how effective healthcare can heal our world.
For over 30 years, CK Group has been working alongside global pharmaceutical and healthcare organisations to develop life-saving treatments and medical devices. Alongside this, we’ve helped bring pioneering clinical trials to life in order to make effective healthcare available to all.
Find out how we can support your recruitment projects here, or get in touch to discuss your needs here.
Or, search our latest science and clinical jobs here.
Run by the career management team, ChemCareers is a monthly webinar series providing advice, access to experts and inspiration for your career. They give the opportunity to hear from a wide range of experts within the chemical sciences industry, including CK Group, and put forward your own questions to them.
You can learn more about things like how to network, different paths to pursue in chemicals, and how to move from academia into industry.
We’re also hosting our own session as part of the series on the 12th May, on job hunting pitfalls and how to avoid them. We’ll be covering the most common mistakes candidates make during the job search process, and how you can maximise the effectiveness of working with a recruitment agency.
Reserve your place, or find out more about the webinars on offer this year below.
This week is British Science Week, which celebrates all things science, technology, engineering and maths. It aims to acknowledge the incredible achievements being made across the world, and bring awareness to current issues within the field.
This year’s theme is growth, so we’re honouring the women who have made incredible contributions within STEM, and looking at how far we have come over the last 100 years.
Looking back
The First and Second World Wars were instrumental in catapulting women into STEM. As the men went off to fight in the trenches, women were given the opportunity to take on engineering and manufacturing roles that had not previously been available to them.
Outside of this, women made important discoveries in a number of scientific fields throughout the early 20th century. Ida Slater, a British scientist, was instrumental in the study of fossils – and whose work is still today regarded as the best in the world in terms of diversity. Also, around this time, Katherine Esau used her botany expertise to investigate the effects of viruses on plants – specifically on plant tissue and development. Her work has been used as key structural biology texts for decades.
Female botanist Katherine Esau
However, many women seeking careers in STEM faced a number of challenges – including discrimination on university courses, and humiliation from their male counterparts. Those working within science were often excluded from main laboratories (allowed to work only in basements), and would have their research findings ignored, ridiculed or stolen.
There was reluctance to allow equal rights, despite their tremendous efforts and significant contributions. As a result, organisations such as the Women’s Engineering Society and the Association for Women in Science were founded. These were established in order to promote STEM as a rewarding career path, and resist pressure to give up roles in favour of men.
The rise of technology during the 20th century arguably helped to provide more STEM related opportunities for women, as new professions exploded onto the scene. Electrical engineering, for example, became huge and was led by a number of women – including Dame Caroline Haslett (founder and editor of The Woman Engineer journal) and Verena Holmes (who established her own engineering firm that employed only females).
Women in STEM today
Today, women face many fewer barriers to entry in science, technology, engineering and maths careers. Gender equality has progressed in the context of education, as university courses are much more accessible and encouraged. Women are free to apply to whichever jobs they choose to, as expectations to stay at home and raise families have diminished (although not entirely).
However, male candidates are often still hired preferentially, as this has historically always been the case. The lack of representation of women across the media sadly appears to deter many from entering the profession, as youngsters cannot see themselves within the industry. Girls are very much still encouraged to take up roles that roles that centre around caring for others, or roles that work below men.
Statistics suggest that women account for only around 25% of the UK STEM workforce, and there is a significant gender pay gap. The Royal Society of Chemistry’s recent survey, for example, found that men earn an average of £11,000 more per year than their female counterparts across the chemical sciences. This shows that despite the lower barriers to entry, appreciation for women is still yet to increase – and a pressing issue that companies and governments need to address.
What the future holds
We have made a number of steps in the right direction over the last 100 years, but to achieve true equality we must completely change our culture. This includes senior leaders of organisations not just saying the right things, but also doing them. Educational institutions need to give more support to young girls to highlight STEM careers as appealing and accessible, and representation across the media should increase alongside this.
Increasing diversity within the workforce will have multiple benefits not just to women, but the industry as a whole. Technology is developing at an increasingly fast pace, and now more than ever, solutions are needed to save our planet from global warming. Therefore, it needs the brightest talent to take the reins and propel us forwards into a world where gender equality is the norm, and where womens’ achievements are not brushed under the carpet.
It can be confusing trying to get to grips with IR35 legislation, and what impact it will have on your work as a contractor.
We’ve outlined everything you need to know below about working through an umbrella company versus working PAYE via an agency, so you can make an informed decision.
What does it mean if I work PAYE via an agency?
When you are contracted via CK you become employed for the duration of your contract and are enrolled onto our PAYE system to be paid weekly or monthly. As your employer, we make the necessary deductions (tax, National Insurance, pension) and provide you with a pay slip. There is no charge for using CK’s payroll, and we offer paid holidays and other statuary requirements, such as pension and SSP.
What is an umbrella company?
All umbrella companies work in the same way. When you are contracted via an umbrella company, you are effectively employed by them and enrolled onto their PAYE system. They pay you an income after deducting items such as tax, National Insurance contributions and their service fees. CK has a preferred list of umbrella companies you can use that have been pre-vetted.
What else should I consider?
Using an umbrella company adds a third-party into the equation, and when it comes to payments and queries, you ultimately will need to contact them for a resolution. Alternatively, working via CK on a PAYE contract means you have direct contact with our payroll team, with clear deadlines and pay schedules to follow.
PAYE
Easy to set up
Paid holidays
Direct contact with payroll
No additional fees
Just like being employed
Umbrella
Need to register to set up
Third party link
Weekly or monthly fees
Why is the agency quoting different rates for the umbrella company and PAYE options?
The key difference (and reason for the different rates) is to do with how they treat holiday pay and National Insurance contributions. Umbrella companies will allow you to “roll in” holiday pay into your regular pay. This is beneficial if you don’t take any holidays, but not entirely legal. By working in this way, you are only paid for the days you work. The umbrella company will also take the employer’s NI from their rate – so although the headline figure is higher, after deductions it should come out roughly the same.
My contract is ‘inside’ IR35 – what does that mean?
In simple terms, the client has decided that the service you provide reflects a service of employment, not self-employment, and they have decided the role is therefore inside IR35. Some clients stipulate how you must contract with the agency if the contract is inside IR35, and this is usually one of two options: umbrella company or PAYE.
What is IR35?
IR35 is the term used to describe the UK tax legislation that was designed to combat tax avoidance. It applies to workers who are supplying their services to clients via an intermediary, such as a limited company, but who would be classed as an employee if the intermediary was not used. It also applies to the firms hiring them.
For more information on your working options or IR35, get in touch with us here.
On 5th February, we got the whole CK team together to celebrate our 30 year anniversary at Breadsall Priory Country Club.
We had a brilliant evening and it was great to see everybody together in one place after such a long time due to lockdowns, and we’re already looking forward to the next one.
One thing we pride ourselves on at CK Group is our long-serving team, so we also honoured our long-serving team members for over 10, 15 and even 20 years of service with us!
We’d also like to thank you for your ongoing support. CK would not be the company it is today without the support of our candidates, clients and contractors.
The team at our dinner eventThe CK Key Accounts Team
We are proud to have recently sponsored the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Pay and Reward Report for 2021. which surveyed almost 4300 chemists across the UK.
The report aims to build a picture of the employment landscape – including salaries, job security, skills and employee needs – and is a highly valuable resource for those working within the profession. Not only does it provide benchmarking data for individuals, employers and recruiters, it also provides vital information for driving positive change within the chemical sciences and beyond.
What does the report reveal?
Median salary has increased across the industry
Those in the chemical sciences landscape are earning a median salary of £46,500 – which is 3.5% higher than the median salary of 2019’s report, and in line with the UK rate of inflation.
The highest paying sectors include industrial/commercial, the public sector and consulting practices; with general management, sales and marketing, and quality assurance/control roles earning the most.
Motivations for working in chemical sciences
The top motivator for those working in the chemical sciences is being passionate about what they do, followed by being able to do work that has a positive impact on society.
Healthy work-life balance is also a key motivator, with the survey seeing a significant jump in the number of respondents indicating that flexible working is offered by their employer. This may be as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic increasing the need for remote working.
Employee retention and development
The majority of survey respondents indicated that they expected to stay with their current employer over the next 12 months. The top reasons for choosing to progress with a current employer include taking on more responsibility, career advancement and personal development – although the vast majority say that they experience one or more barriers to obtaining the skills they need to develop their career. Lack of time appears to be the biggest challenge, suggesting that companies could do more to prioritise training and learning opportunities for their staff.
On the other hand, those looking to move employers in the next 12 months indicated change of location, more job security and better management as their top reasons.
The report highlights the work that is still to be done in the chemical sciences landscape in order to achieve equality and create a fairer working culture.
Royal Society of Chemistry members can download the report for free here.
You might have noticed recently that we’ve changed.
You’re probably familiar with our highly renowned brands CK Science, CK Clinical and CK Technical. However, from January 2022, to make it easier for our customers to find and work with us, we’re merging our brands into one so we’re known as CK Group everywhere.
We’re still offering the same fantastic service we have done for 30 years, and are still specialising in scientific, clinical and technical recruitment – but you’ll now find everything in one place.
Same us. One place, one name.
We’ve also got a brilliant new website where you can find:
Candidate zone – filled with careers advice articles, free downloadable resources and insightful job profiles
Contractor zone – submit a timesheet, get clued up on the IR35 regulations or find out about your contracting options with us
Client zone – filled with information about the services we offer, client case studies and downloadable employer resources
Who we are – get to know our incredible team, read the CK story and find out how to join us for a career in recruitment
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions that have presented themselves this year, we’ve had an incredibly successful year and worked with some fantastic companies and candidates.
We want to take this time to thank you for your support throughout 2021. Take a look at just a few of the exciting things we’ve been up to.
We’ve found jobs for thousands of candidates across the globe
Since launching a year ago, our US division has gone from strength to strength, and we’ve found jobs for a range of talented professionals including Study Directors, QC Analysts and Analytical Scientists across the East Coast of America.
Our UK and Swiss teams have also been working extremely hard, from placing Process Engineers in Lucerne, to Statisticians in Cambridge, to Clinical Study Leads in Munich, to Laboratory Technicians in Dundee.
We’ve worked on some incredible projects
This year, we’ve partnered with some pioneering organisations and worked on a number of life-changing projects. In collaboration with EMS Healthcare, we helped launch the world’s largest trial of the pioneering early-detection Galleri cancer test, which can identify 50 types of cancer before symptoms start.
We’ve also worked with ground-breaking pharmaceutical companies like Ellipses Pharma, and specialist consultancies such as Boyds Consultants.
We’ve been honoured with a Supplier Excellence Award
For the sixth year running, we were recognised by Kelly OCG for our commitment to providing a superior service that has made a significant impact on the business. We were placed within the top 1% of Kelly OCG’s supply chain, and are proud to see our continued partnership thrive.
Our team attended a virtual awards ceremony back in May which celebrated the honorees and recognised their hard work, support and diligence.
We’ve provided some interesting insights
We’ve spent time investigating trends in recruitment and the long-lasting effects that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on working arrangements, in order to find out what the recruitment landscape will look like going forward.
We found that two thirds of people this year have found that the job hunting process has been made more difficult by the pandemic, and flexible working is here to stay – with 100% of those surveyed indicating that they would be allowing it indefinitely.
We’re excited to announce that CK Group will be exhibiting at TOPRA’s Regulatory Careers Live 2021 event on the 19th October – our first face-to-face event of the year.
Regulatory Careers Live is for those looking to start or further their career in healthcare regulatory affairs, as well as life science students and recent graduates. It offers the opportunity to meet with potential employers, network with likeminded professionals and get valuable careers advice from a range of leaders within the field.
Clinical recruitment consultant Andy Leake be hosting a presentation on how to give yourself the best opportunity to start a career in RA, which will cover:
How to write an effective CV and cover letter
What recruiters want to see from candidates, and how to stand out from the competition
Acing a regulatory job interview
Where to find the most useful resources
Attendees can also book one-to-one careers advice sessions with our consultants, where they will be able to get insider tips on job searching within regulatory affairs.
Find out more about the event below, we can’t wait to see you there!
Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, is deeply rooted in science and innovation to transform new ideas and discoveries into medicines that treat serious illnesses. They are committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients, as well as helping to reduce the social and economic burden of disease in society today.
They have also recently been involved in manufacturing a breakthrough tumor-stopping drug, Sotorasib, that is being fast-tracked to 600 NHS patients in England. The drug has been proven to stop lung cancer growing for seven months by targeting the mutation of the KRAS gene, which is a major development in cancer care.
So, what is it like to work with Amgen as a contractor? We interviewed a Senior Project Coordinator who we recently found a job for to find out more.
What do you enjoy about working with Amgen?
“In addition to being part of a well known, respectable and world leading company, I really like how much they care about employee engagement. This creates a respectful and relaxed working atmosphere. All employees are valued for their skills and knowledge that they bring to the table, and on a personal level people are friendly and respectful towards each other.”
What are the benefits of working as a contractor with Amgen?
“It gives you an insight into how global companies work. You can learn a great work ethic and gain experience with applications and systems often used in such places. Networking is also a great benefit.”
What flexibility does Amgen offer?
“Working from home is completely acceptable if the role allows it. All required equipment is provided, and you are often part of an international team where you can adjust your hours accordingly. The importance of work-life balance is constantly emphasized and recommendations and tips are shared to help with maintaining it.”
CK Group’s former Operations Director, Liam O’Connell, helped to support Amgen over the last 12 years and said “We are proud to have supported Amgen by sourcing high calibre staff as they continue to develop ground-breaking treatments for serious illnesses.
We have placed many scientific and clinical professionals in permanent and contract positions, and the level of satisfaction from candidates is amongst the highest of all our clients.
The biotechnology sector is extremely exciting and dynamic, and Amgen are a global leader in this field – a great company to consider joining.”
To find out more about contracting with Amgen, or the opportunities available, contact Key Accounts Manager Lucy Stendall.
More than 100,000 people will take part in the trial by providing blood samples to be analysed through the ground-breaking Galleri test, which could one day be rolled out to become routinely available through the NHS. It will help thousands more people get successful treatment every year, and could be a game-changer in early cancer care.
The trial will operate through eight Cancer Alliances across England, covering a range of locations including Greater Manchester, South East London and the West Midlands. Mobile units provided by EMS Healthcare will be placed within each Cancer Alliance to give geographical reach of participants.
CK Group’s clinical division has provided a wealth of support to the incredible trial, recruiting for the 84 research nurses involved in performing the Galleri test and administering the study.
Recruitment Manager Russell Oakley has said about the project “It’s such a great privilege to be partnering with EMS Healthcare on the GRAIL Galleri trial, helping in the fight with cancer. As a specialist clinical recruiter I don’t always get to see the whole picture of a clinical trial, but the Galleri test will enable myself and the team here at CK Group to see how the study unfolds by supporting the dedicated team of nurses involved. Exciting times for us.”
If successful, the new test could play a major part in achieving the NHS’s ambition of catching three quarters of cancers at an early stage. This means that it really is the beginning of a revolution, and CK Group are proud to have had an involvement in its trial.
As we approach our 30th anniversary of recruiting staff for the science sectors, CK Group has welcomed a number of new staff to join our teams both in the UK and internationally.
We are continuing to grow across our scientific, clinical and engineering divisions, and are delighted to welcome our new team members. They have joined us to help ensure that we continue to offer exceptional levels of recruitment services to our clients.
Liam O’Connell, former Operations Director of CK, said “We are all very excited to welcome our new colleagues, and I am looking forward to watching them develop as consultants within the organisation. Each of them brings a range of additional skills, which will help our clients and candidates get the highest level of support within the recruitment process.”
Annet Racz, who recently joined our Key Accounts Team, has said about her experience so far “I joined the company in March of this year and I can say that this was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I’m really enjoying my time here. Everyone is really friendly, they are supportive and celebrate with me at every step.”
“Coming from a different country, the biggest challenge for me was being confident enough using English as a second language. However, I am really lucky because I have never felt that this is a disadvantage and everyone has been encouraging to help me build my confidence.”
“This job is exactly what I was looking for, it is always busy and challenging. Everyday is a new opportunity to learn something from professional colleagues, and the office is always full of life now we are able to get back to our normal lives. I couldn’t wish for a better experience.”
CK Group continues to grow and will be looking for further staff throughout 2021. If you are interested in joining us, find out more about what it’s like to be part of our team here, or contact our HR Manager, Naomi Menary.
We recently carried out a survey across a range of organisations in the life sciences arena within the UK, which explored their plans for returning to work once lockdown restrictions allowed. We’ve captured some of the effects that the pandemic has had on working arrangements in relation to office presence.
Each of the companies that took part in the survey were UK based with a varied geographical remit and size. The majority were pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, with some medical device, CRO, and healthcare organisations.
What did our survey reveal?
Of the companies surveyed, it was surprising yet pleasing to see that 100% are planning to retain an element of flexible working after restrictions change on the 19th July.
What was even more surprising was the extent to which flexible working appears to be on offer, with 45% of companies stating that they will not be implementing a minimum number of days per week or month to be onsite. However, the overall trend seems to be two to three days in the office per week, or as and when required by the business.
Our survey offered some interesting insights into how the pharmaceutical and life science industries have adapted to working through the pandemic. Certainly from a recruitment perspective, we have seen many companies offering higher levels of flexibility and downsizing office space to account for the uptake of home working. We have also seen a boost to candidate and skill attraction, as well as a surge in job seekers being able to consider companies previously unsuitable due to location.
On the other hand, many have struggled with the large-scale introduction of home working. Some candidates have been forced to turn down roles due to living in shared accommodation and, for example, being unable to work on medical information enquiry lines because of this. This has been disappointing for the individuals, hiring companies and ourselves, all for reasons completely out of anybody’s control. As the old adage goes: one size does not fit all.
Could this be the start of a truly virtual working world? Do people really have the space or knowledge of technology to work from home? Is it fit for all purposes?
Time will tell what long-term changes are going to influence our working habits and effectiveness.
International Women in Engineering Day, which occurs annually on the 23rd June, is a day that celebrates the incredible work that female engineers do around the globe, and recognises them as the heroes they are in innovation.
Some of the best, brightest and bravest engineers are women, yet we hear them talked about so infrequently that their contributions to STEM are often overlooked simply because many are unaware of them.
Our ‘Women in Engineering’ series aims to change that by introducing you to some incredible women who have gone before us. One of those is Judith Love Cohen.
Find out more about her work below, and why she should be recognised for her amazing work.
Judith Love Cohen
Judith Love Cohen had a fascinating life. She began her career in aerospace engineering by gaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees, before going on to work at Space Technology Laboratories (eventually becoming TRW) – all at a time when only one percent of all engineers were female.
Throughout her career she worked on various engineering projects, contributing huge amounts to the aerospace industry. When the Apollo 13 spacecraft suffered a disastrous systems failure during its mission in 1970, Judith helped save the lives of the astronauts onboard thanks to her work on the Abort Guidance System. It was this system that brought everybody home safely, by guiding the spacecraft’s return back to earth and providing two mid-course corrections. Without this, their story could have been very different.
She also ran the systems engineering for the science ground facility of the Hubble Space Telescope, and helped to put the first man on the moon. According to her son, she even went into work on the day she gave birth to actor and musician Jack Black, taking a printout of the problem she was working on to the hospital with her.
As well as being an incredible engineer, Judith was an advocate for the better treatment of women in the workplace, working tirelessly to create an equal and fair working environment. Many things that we today consider routine, such as formal job descriptions and the advertising of opportunities internally, are Judith’s creations. She had a profound impact on equality for women.
After retiring in 1990, Judith began a publishing company with her husband and published two series of books. Her ‘You can be a woman…’ series was created to encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM, and included books on engineering, astronomy, biology and paleontology.
We really do have a lot to thank Judith Love Cohen for, who knows how the aerospace industry could look without her?
CK Group was one of 23 suppliers recently recognised at a virtual ceremony by KellyOCG, the outsourcing consulting group of Kelly, with a Supplier Excellence Award for providing superior workforce solutions. The focus was on service, results, and a strategic partnership that made a significant positive impact on the KellyOCG business. Award winners represent top-performing suppliers across North America, EMEA and APAC and are less than 1% of the total KellyOCG supply chain, which includes 3000 active partnerships across 140 countries.
The ninth annual event celebrated this year’s honorees, which included seven diversity-owned suppliers within the KellyOCG Supplier Excellence and Going the Extra Mile award categories, and a Rookie of the Year award recipient.
CK Group was one of 21 Supplier Excellence Award winners. Winners in this category are evaluated on performance across several programs for hires, response and hit rates, legal compliance, and operational partnership with Kelly stakeholders.
“Our global supplier community is essential to supporting our customers with talent solutions that solve their most challenging workforce needs and move their business forward” said Pam Sands, Senior Director and Global Lead of Supplier Strategy and Engagement for Kelly. “CK Group is among an elite group of high-performing suppliers who are critical to the work of the future. We’re honoured to recognise them for their exceptional performance to connect customers with the full spectrum of top talent around the world.”
CK’s Operations Director, Liam O’Connell, said “The CK Group is very proud of our continued relationship with KellyOCG and we are delighted to have once again won the Supplier Excellence Award. This award is in recognition of the hard work, support and diligence which the Key Accounts Team devotes to the KellyOCG programs, and it is especially pleasing to have achieved this honour in light of the tumultuous year we have all gone through. The Key Accounts Team is a credit to the CK Group and strives to provide the highest level of service to all our clients.”
As of 6th April 2021, the responsibility for IR35 assessment shifted from the intermediary (usually the contractor’s own personal services company) to the client.
This also means that private sector clients (or the fee-paying agency acting on their behalf) are now responsible for making the correct deductions for the tax and NIC of their contractors who are assessed as falling within IR35. This has brought the private sector IR35 legislation in line with its public sector equivalent.
How is IR35 status determined for contractors?
HMRC has created a tool called ‘Check Employment Status for Tax’ (CEST), where clients can answer a series of questions to assess their contractors’ IR35 status.
It is not mandatory for client companies to use CEST, however HMRC have stated that they will stand by the results determined by the tool unless any checks reveal that inaccurate information has been submitted. It is therefore critical that proper and thorough assessments of each assignment are made, rather than attempting to apply a single, all-encompassing status determination to all contractors.
What do contractors need to know?
The shift in IR35 assessment responsibility means that client companies now need to ask their contractors questions in order to make accurate judgements. Contractors therefore need to be prepared to provide information relating to the ownership and management of their personal service companies, including:
How many other clients the company works with
The types of insurances held by the company
UTRs and VAT numbers
Contractors should note that it is permissible under the data protection law for client companies to request this information for the purpose of staying compliant with tax legislation, provided that they process the information in accordance with the data protection law.
The assessment could result in a change of status for contractors that places them inside IR35. This means that deductions for PAYE and National Insurance will be taken by the fee-payer before the contractor is paid. Some client companies may offer to increase their payments to compensate for this, and others may choose to offer contractors employee status or a PAYE contract with the company. Client companies are not obligated to offer any compensation or alternative business arrangements however, and the contractor should therefore decide what conditions they would find acceptable if they are deemed to be working inside IR35.
It is an offense to avoid paying the taxes resulting from their assessed status, and contractors should be highly cautious if engaging with agencies or umbrella companies operating in any of the following ways:
Disregarding the client’s decision regarding the contractor’s IR35 status
Offering to pay contractors a large percentage of their remuneration ‘tax-free’
Offering loans, offshore arrangements or other proposed solutions to paying taxes
Offering to present contracts so as to make the contractors appear outside IR35
All of the above factors could be deemed as disguised remuneration tax avoidance by HMRC.
Finally, contractors who find themselves assessed inside IR35 should note that while they will be liable for paying employee tax, this does not mean they are entitled to employee benefits. Paying employee tax currently does not equate to full employee status. The government is reviewing this, and looking to bring employee tax status in line with full employee status.
Are there any exemptions to the legislation?
The changes to IR35 only affect medium to large private sector companies. Small employers are exempt from the legislation, in which case it remains the responsibility of contractors to assess their own status. As per the Companies Act 2006, two of the following criteria must be met in a particular year in order for a company to be classed as ‘small’:
The company’s turnover must not be more than £10.2m
The company’s balance sheet must not be more than £5.1m
The company must have fewer than 50 employees
Anti-avoidance rules have been introduced to prevent organisations from restructuring in order to avoid the legislation.
Medium-to-large companies may attempt to pass responsibility for IR35 assessment from themselves to the fee-payer (or agency), if a fee-payer is involved in the supply chain. However, it is unlikely that fee-payers in the supply chain will be willing to accept the resulting liabilities.
Regardless of whether the client or the fee-payer assumes responsibility for the IR35 determination, the decision must be cascaded throughout the supply chain so that all parties are aware of their obligations. This provides contractors with the opportunity to discuss their IR35 status as assessed by the client, and dispute it if necessary. Disputes are a client-led process of consultation.
What should contractors do?
In the first instance, all contractors should be taking advice from their accountants with regard to their IR35 status. If you find from this that you need to receive payment through an external company, CK Group can help.
We have our own inhouse payroll system and pay our contractors without any of the charges incurred through using an umbrella company. We can also have contracts set up in as little as 24 hours, and offer ongoing management of these contracts.
Need more information?
To find out more, contact CK Group’s Director Liam O’Connell.
Just before Christmas, CK Group made £5,000 donations to two hospice charities – Garden House Hospice Care based in Stevenage and Ashgate Hospice Care based in Chesterfield – in an effort to bring some joy during an uncertain and difficult time.
The Coronavirus pandemic and ongoing lockdown restrictions have put a huge strain on charities across the country, as the need to protect communities from the virus whilst still providing essential care to those who need it has been heightened. Therefore, we have been keen to do whatever we can to help.
Garden House Hospice Care supports personalised and compassionate palliative end-of-life care for those living with a life-limiting illness and their families across the communities of North Hertfordshire. Their mission is to put the patient at the heart of everything they do and provide the best possible quality of life without discrimination. They work hard to help families through bereavement as well as ensure that patient and family choices are respected.
The hospice are currently running a wildflower campaign that you can get involved in. With a £3 donation you can send a wildflower love heart and handwritten note to someone you are missing – which will hopefully bloom as we exit lockdown.
Ashgate Hospice Care works hard to ensure that everyone in North Derbyshire with a life-limiting illness, and those important to them, can make the most of every moment together and pass away with comfort and dignity. They provide specialist, high-quality and sustainable care as a team of compassionate individuals.
Barbara-Anne Walker, Chief Executive at Ashgate Hospice Care said: “My sincere thanks go to CK Group for this generous donation, particularly at such a difficult time, as our shops are temporarily closed and much of our fundraising has been scaled back or cancelled.
Right now, the demand for our specialist and compassionate end-of-life care has never been greater. Our teams are working tirelessly with our NHS colleagues to ease the burden on the wider health system by freeing up beds in Chesterfield Royal Hospital and caring for patients in our specialist inpatient unit instead. In fact, just last week, we doubled our capacity of Covid patients with 1 in 3 beds now being used by Covid positive patients.
Every pound donated will help our team to keep moving forward in these challenging times and ensure that we can continue to deliver our care and services across North Derbyshire.”
If you want to raise money for Ashgate Hospice, they provide a range of fun and exciting fundraising ideas that you can try out from the comfort of your own home. Take a look here for some inspiration.
