Today, the Association of Online Recruiters (AOLR), representing the UKís leading internet job boards, called for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to clarify the status of job boards in relation to the ìConduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2004î (EAA Regs) which come into effect on 6th April 2004.
In November 2002, the AOLR, in conjunction with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), presented a submission to the DTI, as part of the EAA consultation, explaining why job boards should be excluded from the EAA Regs, in the same way that the placement of classified job and skills advertising in the print media is excluded.
To comply with the EAA Regs, job boards would be required to check and verify every job advertised and the identity, background and skills of every individual posting a CV - an impossible task given the huge number of jobs and CVs posted on job boards every day. Although the DTI has already committed to a further consultation process to look specifically at job boards, it has failed to clear up this issue before the EAA Regs were finalised, despite being urged to do so for 18 months by the REC and AOLR.
As from 6th April, any recruitment agency wishing to do business with another agency, such as a job board, has to satisfy itself that the second agency is suitable to act as an agency. Since the position of job boards is still subject to a consultation process, the lack of clarity on this issue from the DTI is causing considerable confusion within the recruitment industry.
Bill Shipton, Chairman of AOLR said ìThe potential impact of this confusion is that job boards will lose revenue, agencies will suffer from lack of candidates, employers will be unable to fill jobs and work seekers will be unable to find new employment. The whole situation is totally unacceptable and I have written to the Secretary of State at the DTI to ask that the Department provides immediate clarity on the position of job boards.î
New regulations threaten online recruitment
according to Association of Online Recruiters (AOLR)