Acre's Contract & Interim Recruitment Hub

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents do I need to submit to Acre?

We are always going to check Right to Work documents, ask you to confirm your home address and NI Number for payrolling purposes.

If you are operating through a Ltd company, we will need your limited company details, proof of insurance, Certificate of Incorporation, VAT certificate and signed contract terms.
 

How do I submit my timesheet?

Acre has an online timesheet portal for you to submit your timesheet in a more eco-friendly way. You will receive an activation link from our Payroll Team. Please ensure you have submitted your timesheet and received approval in time for the deadline of 12 noon on Tuesdays. Our payroll runs one week in arrears and payments are issued on Friday.  


Who is my first point of contact?

For all queries, please email contractors@acre.com. From there we will be able to answer your query or redirect it to a more appropriate member of staff.

 

What if I’m not paid?

If you are paid directly via Acre, please get in touch with us at contractors@acre.com. If you are paid via an umbrella company your first point of contact should be the umbrella payroll team.

 

What if there is a bank holiday when I am due to be paid?

We will inform you in advance of any changes to your payday due to bank holidays.

 

Do I need to submit an invoice?

If you are a direct limited company contractor with Acre (your limited company receives payment directly from Acre with no intermediary involved), you will need to send in an invoice to contractors@acre.com for each timesheet you submit.

 

How much will I be paid as a contractor?

When you contact us about a role, we always try to be transparent about the rate on offer from the client. There are tax benefits to operating as a contractor whether as a limited company director or through an umbrella company; however, we advise that you take independent financial advice to understand what your likely net income will be as this can vary depending on personal circumstances and how you are set up. To find out more about approximate take-home pay via our different payment options click here to see our Key Information Document section.

 

Should I opt out of the Conduct Regulations?

We will ask you whether you wish to opt-in or out of the Conduct Regulations. These were created to offer increased protection to contractors; however, both opting in and out has a number of implications for you and we advise you to seek independent advice before making your decision:

If you opt-out:

You will not receive the benefits outlined in the Conduct Regulations; however, most genuinely self-employed freelance contractors want to be treated as a business for tax purposes and find that the protection offered by the legislation is outweighed by the benefits of being classed as genuinely self-employed.

If you opt-in:

You will receive some benefits akin to those of a PAYE (Pay As You Earn) worker with added security; however, this will affect the assessment of your status for tax purposes.

 

Who are your umbrella partners?

People Group - We’ve spent 15 years perfecting what we do. During that time, we’ve processed 2 million payslips for tens of thousands of contractors. And, although we’ve come a long way since our family-run beginnings, the values that we believe in haven’t changed. Whatever you’re here for, we’ll be happy to help. Our solutions have stood the test of time. We’re experienced, passionate, professional and patient. We strive to deliver outstanding customer service which is why our contractors like to take us with them when they start new roles.

Giant - For almost 30 years Giant has provided specialist, end to end workforce management software and support services for organisations of all sizes. Globally.

Worker International - What drives us at Worker Group is what drives you. That’s today’s cultural and societal mindset shift about what it means to go to work. As the champion of the flexible worker, we’ve got you covered – however you work.

 

What does inside and outside IR35 mean?

Being inside IR35 means paying taxes like an employee would but with none of the employment rights that you’d benefit from as an employee such as sick pay or holiday pay. This means you have been deemed to be a disguised employee of a company and any of the small tax advantages you may normally enjoy as a limited company contractor will no longer apply. However, the company is still not required to provide any employee benefits to you. Being inside IR35 can significantly reduce your net earnings and leave you unprotected from any workers’ rights, so it’s important that you are fully aware of your status and the consequences.

Being outside IR35 means that you are considered to be a genuine contractor and not a disguised employee. This means both the firm that hired you and HMRC consider you to be self-employed and you can continue to operate as tax efficiently as possible.

If you’re unsure of anything, visit the government’s website for more information.

 

What level of insurance do I need?

As a minimum, we require contractors working through a PSC to have Professional Indemnity insurance to the value of no less than £1,000,000. Please note that some of our clients may ask for higher levels or different types of insurance. If this is the case, we will inform you of this as soon as possible.

 

Key Information Documents

LTD Company Contractor

A calculation using the method detailed in the following documents will apply to you if you are providing your services through your own Personal Services Company (PSC) (i.e. limited company contractors).

Umbrella Worker

A calculation using the method detailed in the following documents will apply to you if you provide your services through one of the Umbrella Companies on our PSL. Each umbrella company has its own example document. These ‘preferred suppliers’ have been vetted by us and are assessed as having robust processes and procedures.

We may, at our absolute discretion, agree to engage with another umbrella company of your choosing. We require that any umbrella company we engage with is APSCo accredited. Before an assignment could start, we will also need to carry out our own vetting process and obtain confirmation that a key information document has been issued.

 

List of Downloadable Documents

If you need any assistance accessing these documents, please get in touch with contractors@acre.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.