Hardhats
You might think we’re pretty tough on payroll companies, and maybe we are. It’s not that we don’t think there is value in what they do – we just don’t like it when they use sneaky tactics to scare construction firms into working with them. It was this scaremongering that inspired us to set up […]
Ever thought it was strange that payroll and umbrella companies say you can’t pay subbies long-term, but then they do exactly that? Odd, isn’t it? What if we told you you don’t need a payroll or umbrella company to work with subbies long-term? You can pay them without going through a third party or upsetting […]
In 2008, Castle Construction was taken to tribunal by HMRC over the employment status of their subcontractors. HMRC believed 314 of their subcontractors should be reclassified as employees. Some of the arguments put forward by HMRC included: Subcontractors were paid at an hourly rate Subcontractors wore hi-viz vests with the Castle Construction logo on Castle […]
In an ideal world, your subbies would turn up in their own van, pay for their own fuel, and bring their own tools. All you’d need to pay for is the cost of their labour and any materials used on site. In reality, it’s not always as black and white – sometimes it’s grey. And […]
Have you ever been told that IR35 means you can’t use subbies long-term? It’s bullshit, of course. Just another scare tactic to convince construction firms they have to use a payroll company. IR35 has nothing to do with how long you work with subbies. It’s about the working relationship you have with them. And if […]
It’s not uncommon for construction firms to use payroll companies to work with subbies. The payroll company essentially acts as an employment agency, creating a contractual barrier between the main contractor and their workers. One of the main reasons construction firms work this way is to protect themselves from enquiries into the employment status of […]
The use of labour-only subcontractors in the construction industry is standard practice. You get a big project and you need extra hands, but you don’t want to employ, so you bring in some subbies. But as you start to work with those subbies more frequently, you find yourself creeping into some grey areas. And those […]
If you follow us on social media or have read some of our previous blog posts, you might think we have it in for payroll companies. We don’t. Payroll companies provide a valuable service for a lot of construction businesses. And there are some bloody good ones out there. Our issue with payroll companies isn’t […]
At HardHats, we love busting the bullshit myths being peddled around the construction industry. And in this article, we’re looking at one of our favourites: “your subcontractors can’t wear uniforms with your logo on.” Bollocks. Your subbies can wear your branded uniform – they can even have your logo tattooed on their head if they […]
Why is the construction industry the only industry in the UK where the self-employed have tax deducted at the source? It sucks. And then there are all these rules about how long you can work with subcontractors and how to pay them, right? Well, actually, that’s not strictly true. In fact, a lot of the […]