Over the past few years, contractors and temporary workers in the public sector have been put under increased pressure to conform to the government’s new austerity measures. Now, as Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said that those who were not flexible in their approach to working in the public sector should seek new jobs, recruitment agencies can expect to see a rising number of professionals looking for private sector placements.
In a bid to cut down on its expenses, the government has made some dramatic changes in its contractor use over the past few years. In addition to asking companies to cut their fees, it has moved many people onto PAYE schemes and put thresholds on how much individuals can charge. Whilst the government has saved around £800m in the past two years, a number of individuals are looking to move jobs because of the growing conformity that is required in the public sector.
Mr Maude spoke of the changes, saying that those people who were not ready and willing to change would need to look for new job prospects. “This government will not tolerate poor performance, and this is one of the areas that the next phase will look at. All contracts will have performance criteria written into them,” he said.
Those in the recruitment industry are likely to note an increasing number of temporary workers and contactors showing interest in private sector positions. Whilst the government looks to reduce expenditure, it could note a lack of skills and expertise in staff in the years to come.
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