016 What Exactly Is A 'Statement Of Work'?

Following on from our last episode where we discussed the different mechanisms that recruitment agencies might engage you to work for clients, today we are focussing on a new type of contract, a Statement Of Work.  Well, they aren’t actually new, but you could be forgiven for thinking that they are!  Statements of Work are getting a lot of airtime currently because these contracts might be useful in the context of off-payroll legislation changes which will soon be upon us.

To get the lowdown on the detail, we chat to Carla Roberts, Director of Legal Services at WTT Legal Ltd.  She has a wealth of experience in the recruitment agency world, and has spent considerable time advising firms on the detail of Statement of Work contractual arrangements.  If you’re unsure what one is, and you work on a short-term contract basis, then you need to listen in!

Amongst other things we cover how a statement of work differs to other types of contractual engagement; who is it applicable to; what should be included in a statement of work; what the risks to each party; and what are the common errors.  During the episode we mention HMRC’s internal manual which you can access here.

Key insights include:

• Detailed project planning is required at the outset
• Ensure that you understand the practical impact of any contractual indemnities
• Don’t allow the scope of work to diverge away from what is specified at the outset

Please note that the content discussed in this podcast episode involves complex legal issues and is intended to be used for general informational purposes only. Seeking specialist legal advice for your particular circumstances is strongly recommended.

About Carla Roberts

Carla is a dual qualified lawyer (US/UK) and has extensive experience in employment law, IR35 advice, commercial contracts, data protection and insurance law issues.  Prior to joining WTT, Carla was Senior Legal Counsel at Alexander Mann Solutions Ltd, Head of Legal at Gattaca PLC and Compliance Manager at Capita Group PLC.  In her role at WTT, Carla is committed to ensuring that clients have access to a “one-stop shop” for all their legal needs, including employment, contracts, wills, estate and tax planning and insurance.

You can find out more about Carla and WTT Legal here.