Finding The Best Umbrella Company For Supply Teachers

10/23/2014 - 10:58

By the close of 2013, there were around 41,000 temporary teachers at work in schools in the UK. Secondary schools, in particular, had come to rely on interim staff and supply talent in much larger quantities than previously. It is a trend that demonstrates the reliance placed on this type of labour force by the UK’s Education system.

In the course of finding and starting work throughout the country, many supply teachers will be frantically searching online to find out more about something probably new to them: umbrella companies. It could be something that surprises, or confuses education professionals. So Umbrella Director Miles Grady took sometime to tell us why supply teachers sometimes need to lean on umbrella company services.

“To set the scene a little, it helps to explain the sometimes complex relationship between teacher, school, recruitment agent and umbrella services. Umbrella companies work with recruiters to help protect temporary workers’ earnings from unnecessary tax burdens.”

“Supply teachers have employment contracts with Umbrella companies, before finding work through recruiters. Umbrella companies work to help ensure supply teachers receive all the benefits and protections they should be due from their employer. There is a bank of knowledge in any good umbrella company that helps working professionals understand tax compliance and payment processes: this is vital for supply teachers as well.”

“Look at the thorny issue of expenses. Under normal HRMC rules, teachers travelling to work at a school where they are employed temporarily are still treated as working ‘permanently’ at that fixed address. It’s not ideal, and so here arises an incidence where teachers registered with umbrella companies can benefit.”

“By using an over-arching contract of employment, supply teachers are helped by umbrella firms to claim back expenses due to them – again, this normally will revolve around travel. This is an aspect that gives supply teachers working through umbrellas real continuity. You may change your place of work regularly as an interim staff member, but due to the contents of an over-arching contract of employment, you will be treated as employees of an umbrella company but your place of work treated as a temporary location.”

“Without the expertise of umbrella companies in protecting employee tax vulnerabilities and expense loopholes, thousands of people would lose lump sums from savings and earnings each year. For supply teachers in particular, choosing an umbrella operator with an instituted over-arching contract of employment is clearly very important.”

Umbrella.co.uk is a trading name of Umbrella-Company Ltd.  Umbrella-Company Ltd are a APSCo Affiliate, Professional Passport approved and are silver business partners with the Institute of Recruiters (IOR). For further information please contact umbrella.co.uk on 0800 121 6513.