Guaranteed Hours, Umbrellas & Risk: What Recruiters Must Prepare For | Theresa Mimnagh of Lawspeed

Nitin speaks with Theresa Mimnagh, partner at specialist recruitment law firm Lawspeed, about significant legal and regulatory changes facing the recruitment industry. The conversation focuses on the proposed Employment Rights Bill and its implications for recruitment businesses, including guaranteed hours for agency workers, joint and several liability with umbrella companies, right-to-work changes, flexible working reforms, and unfair dismissal reforms.

Theresa explains how these changes could reshape recruitment business models and margins, particularly for temp-heavy operations. She discusses why early engagement with government consultations matters more than reactive responses, and how recruiters still have opportunity to influence legislation before finalisation. The episode covers practical risk management, contract requirements, and how agencies can adapt their models—such as moving toward consultancy, RPO, retained search, or hybrid approaches—to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.