What the General Election result means for PAs

Freelance, temporary and virtual assistants could be put at risk following the results of the UK General Election, according to a recruitment specialist.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has warned that the snap election, which saw the Conservatives lose its overall majority from the 2015 General Election, will lead to uncertainty for many independent workers across the country if consideration isn’t taken to ensure unnecessary changes from EU legislation.

“Theresa May’s gamble on calling a snap election hasn’t paid off and it is unfortunate that this result does not offer the level of stability that the UK desperately needs,” said Samantha Hurley, director of operations at APSCo. “The next Government should be especially careful to avoid knee jerk changes to taxation, employment regulation or visa controls associated with our exit from the EU.”

The recruitment company believes more needs to be done for flexible workers to be given representation. With the potential for all workers like VAs and freelance PAs to be lost under the label of a ‘gig economy’, action needs to be taken to challenge perceptions that currently focus on lower skilled, lower paid temp workers rather than an accepted industry.

“We are absolutely determined to ensure that the new Government recognises that professional independent flexible talent is not only a completely distinctive group within the gig economy but that it also has a critical role to play in the future success of the UK,” continued Hurley. “We hope the new administration will be open to working closely with us to ensure collateral damage is kept to a minimum.”

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