As we near the end of the year, we can’t help but being in a festive mood! The WEC Awards are coming back for a third season and our members have really gotten into competition mode. Find out which national federations are our finalists for this 2021 edition and block off your agenda to be with us on December 9 to discover who the winners are.

For the third year now, the World Employment Confederation is shining a light on its national federations that have particularly contributed to advancing the private employment services industry and enhancing labour markets.

Three categories are open for competition: “Leadership in Social Innovation”, “Outstanding Advocacy” and “Rising Federation”. This year’s finalists are really coming from all parts of the world, showing a good diversity of initiatives and reflecting the strong engagement of WEC members.

Here are the federations who made it to the final stage. The winners will be revealed during an online ceremony to be held on December 9th. The ceremony is reserved to WEC members. All details can be found out on the Members Area.

Outstanding Advocacy

The World Employment Confederation is the voice of the employment industry and, in a changing world of work, the strength and influence of this voice must be compelling. This award recognises the critical importance of outstanding advocacy program, campaign or event that has delivered respect, understanding and real impact through stakeholder influence.

REC – Advocating for digital Right to Work checks

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the UK Government introduced temporary measures to switch the process by which a right to work (RTW) check was conducted for an employee or temporary worker from in person to digital.

The REC advocated to extend the application of digital checks. Returning to face-to-face checks would have flown in the face of ongoing government guidance to “work from home where possible” and would have increased the health and safety risks to recruiters and candidates alike.

It would also have created a double standard in the UK recruitment industry. Overseas candidates would have been able to use an existing online checking service, whilst UK nationals would have been forced to return to lengthier and less efficient in person check.

Given the positive impact of this measure for the recruitment industry, the REC now actually intends to work to enable a fully digital, permanent solution to RTW checks.

RCSA – “Working Sooner” campaign

In May 2020, legal action initiated by the union movement in Australia resulted in a Federal Court decision that brought the classification of many employees engaged as casuals into question. The decision created enormous uncertainty and liability – including financial – for employers of casual workers across Australia, including staffing agencies who employ some 360,000 casual workers. This decision was devastating at a time when many businesses were already struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic upon their operation.

RCSA and its members advocated against this change, telling the real stories of the sector and the role it plays in getting people into work and supporting Australian businesses to grow. As a result, the campaign successfully supported the passage of a change to the legislation, providing a clear definition of casual employment that is workable for staffing agencies and thereby resolving the largest threat that had faced the industry in its history.

NHO SH – Expanding outreach with an Ambassadors Programme

In Norway the temporary agency work industry came under great political pressure from left wing parties and trade unions, with several propositions put forward to restrict or ban the sector’s activities. As the country was approaching parliamentary elections in autumn 2021 and the left-wing parties seemed likely to take power, the industry decided to proactively engage with local politicians and change their perception of the temporary agency work sector.

NHO established an Ambassadors Programme, enrolling members’ representatives in all regions of the country. With a strong communication strategy and material support, the ambassadors engaged in the political debate at local level. Through this network, the sector could ensure a broader outreach than it would have, counting only on the national association’s staff. The work is proving impactful, given the changes observed in political programs and the political debate around temporary agency work.